When our Constitution was written, victims of crimes prosecuted defendants themselves and thus no role was put in the document for victims. Now, we have public prosecutors and crime victims often find themselves in judicial limbo they are the reason for the process, but they are not a part of it. Consider Marilyn Mathis, who wanted only to give a victim impact statement at the sentencing of the defendant who was driving while intoxicated and crashed into her husband, killing him:

"I wanted to let the court know how lost our family was without him. I was astounded, then sad, then angry when the defense attorney asked the judge to keep me out of the courtroom during the trial. So, I sat outside, upset and alone. Because of my continual pleading with the prosecutor to allow me in, she did arrange for me to address the jury, but only after the offender had been sentenced."

Criminal defendants have over 20 constitutional rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution; victims have none. Some states have laws that require notification of victims of bail release, but even in those states, over half of victims are not notified.

To remedy these injustices towards those already victimized by crime, MADD recommends every state pass a state constitutional amendment guaranteeing the rights: (1) to reasonable and timely notice of any public proceeding involving the crime and of any release or escape of the accused; (2) to not be excluded from such public proceedings and reasonably to be heard at public release, plea, sentencing, reprieve, and pardon proceedings; and (3) to adjudicative decisions that consider the victim's safety, interest in avoiding unreasonable delay, and just and timely claims to restitution from the offender.

President Bush, former President Clinton, Attorney General Ashcroft, and former Vice-President Gore all support a victims' rights constitutional amendment. Now, it needs your support as well. Please let your state representatives know that you would like them to support this type of state constitutional amendment.