Bill would grant rights to crime victims, reform parole system
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

Supporters of a new statewide initiative that would create a bill of rights for crime victims and reform the parole system turned in more than 1.25 million signatures to the Sacramento registrar's office this week in hopes of getting the measure on the November 2008 ballot, county officials announced Monday.

The Victims Bill of Rights Act of 2008, known as Marsy's Law- named for a Malibu woman murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 1983- would ensure that families of crime victims be treated with "fairness and respect," said Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten.

"It doesn't really change the existing laws," Totten said. "What Marsy's Law does is acknowledge truth in sentencing and require our governor to place emphasis on protecting the public from prisoners."

According to Totten, more than 30 states have adopted similar laws, and the initiative would amend the state constitution to include victims' rights and secure prison sentencing. Ventura County alone made up 20,000 of the total amount of signatures submitted this week.

"Placing these rights in the constitution ensures that victim's rights are being protected by the criminal justice system," Totten said.

If passed, Marsy's Law would require law enforcement to provide all crime victims with a card informing them of their enforceable constitutional rights. It would disallow annual parole hearings for inmates with life sentences and require that victims and their families be notified when convicted criminals are scheduled to appear at a hearing.

"The current law allows us to deny parole and then have another hearing 12 months later," Totten said. "Say your loved one was murdered, and you have to go to the prison facility, sit in the same room with the person who murdered your loved one and do that again and again on an annual basis. That's a terrible thing for the crime victims that really causes them tremendous grief and stress. And in many cases, it's absolutely unnecessary."

Marsy's Law gives the state parole board the authority to deny a follow-up parole hearing for as long as 15 years.

Simi Valley Mayor Paul Miller said he supports the initiative and hopes the legislation will prevent criminals from getting out of prison early.

"I think it's a move in the right direction," Miller said. "In certain circumstances, the rights of criminals have been more important than the rights of victims."

Miller said that while this is not a common problem in the city of Simi Valley, crime is still an "unfortunate truth" that everybody is responsible for facing.

"In the unfortunate event that a resident of Simi Valley, Ventura County or the state of California becomes a crime victim, I want Marsy's Law to be in place to protect them from being revictimized by a dysfunctional judicial system," Miller said.

According to proponents of the initiative, prison inmates Bruce Davis and Leslie Van Houghton, two followers of Charles Manson, have had 38 parole hearings since being convicted of multiple murders more than 30 years ago.

Both Miller and Totten said Marsy's Law would prevent the state from spending excessive amounts of tax dollars on the extra hearings.

"We believe that this is not only cost-neutral, but will actually save taxpayers money by reducing the parole hearings and reduce the costs," Totten said. "It doesn't increase sentences, it just prevents using early release programs as a political tool."

Other local supporters of Marsy's Law include Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks, U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Thousand Oaks), Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy and former state Assemblymember Tony Strickland (R-Moorpark).

For more information on Marsy's Law, visit the website www.justiceforcrimevictims.com.