ATLANTA (April 3, 2009) – Today the House voted to pass Sen. John Wiles’ (R-Kennesaw) legislation (SB 151) giving family members of a crime victim greater options in how they present their testimony before a jury. Under current law, family members are only allowed to deliver a victim impact statement by reading a written testimonial.
“I am pleased the House passed my bill to protect families of victims from unnecessary public testimony. These families go through a grueling process before they can give testimony in court, only to be faced with delivering that testimony in front of an audience, including the criminal who has devastated their family,” said Sen. Wiles. “Anyone who loses a loved one because of a senseless act of violence is already under an undue amount of stress. Forcing them to stand before a court and speak publicly is a burden we can remove, and still allow their voices to be heard.”
The bill will allow the family to submit an audio or videotaped testimony, as well as allow them to present their statement via teleconference or by other electronic means. Under this legislation, a judge retains the right to review the testimony and decide what to permit in court.
“Too often the Criminal Justice System is about the defendants rights,” stated David McDade, Douglas County District Attorney. However, it is my mission as District Attorney to fight for victims rights in the Courtroom. SB 151 has been a top legislative priority for DA’s during this session and we are very excited to see the legislators recognize that justice isn’t really served until the crime victims are.”
Several family members of crime victims delivered heart wrenching testimony as the bill worked its way through the process in the Senate and House. They noted that allowing a statement to be pre-recorded would give family members the chance to humanize the victim for a jury. All too often, a jury only sees the victim through crime scene photos. This bill gives families more options to bring the victim to life and highlight the impact of the crime.
SB 151 now awaits signature by Governor Purdue. For more information on the bill, please visit www.senate.ga.gov and do a legislative search for SB 151.
Sen. John Wiles serves as chairman of the Special Judiciary Committee. He represents the 37th Senate District, which includes a portion of Cobb County. He may be reached by phone at 404.657.0406 or by e-mail at john.wiles@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
April 3, 2009
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
raegan.weber@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028