Abstract
In recent years the legal world has rediscovered a lost party in the criminal process: the victim. In response to an increasingly powerful victims’ rights movement, politicians and judges alike have shown renewed concern for the interests and needs of the long-suffering object of crime. In 1965, California became the first state to pass legislation providing compensation to crime victims. The vast majority of states have since adopted similar statutes. In addition, over 2000 government and private organizations, including the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), presently offer assistance to victims. In 1981, President Reagan demonstrated conviction to the cause by declaring the week of April 19th “National Victims’ Rights Week,” an annual practice imitated by numerous state governors? Further testimony to the mass appeal of the victims movement lies in the avalanche of victim-oriented legislation, including the Omnibus Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982. The impact of the movement has even reached the Supreme Court.