April 29, 2009
Media Contact: Jenn Meale
Phone: (850) 245-0150
Attorneys General Past and Present Recognize National Crime Victims' Rights Week, 25th Anniversary of Federal Victims of Crime Act
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Attorney General Bill McCollum today was joined by Governor and former Attorney General Charlie Crist as well as former Attorneys General Richard Doran, Bob Butterworth and Jim Smith to recognize National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and the 25th anniversary of the federal Victims of Crime Act. Also present to help honor law enforcement officers and victim advocates for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of Florida victims of crime were Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Commissioner Charles Bronson of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
“It is a privilege to not only recognize and stand with our citizens who have been affected by crime, but also to honor our victim advocates and law enforcement for their tireless service to crime victims and those victims’ families and loved ones,” said Attorney General McCollum.
The Attorney General and the Governor honored two law enforcement officers for their dedication to crime victims and their families through their roles in law enforcement. Trooper Teressa G. Hill, of the Florida Highway Patrol in Lakeland, and Detective Felix Mendigutia, of the Hialeah Police Department were recognized for their work on behalf of victims of crime above and beyond their regular responsibilities.
In addition to recognizing the law enforcement officers, the Attorney General and the Governor also presented awards to three victim advocates for their efforts to care for and assist crime victims and their families. Rosemary Evans Baker, of the Broward County Sheriff's Office; Mary Alyce Rebber, of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office; and Angela Williams, Mothers Against Murderers Association. Also recognized by the Florida Network of Victim Witness Services was Angela Buckhanan, with the Office of the Attorney General; Maria Kretschmayer, Linda Kuhn, Sally Panella, and Alexandria Stone, Ormond Beach Police Department Volunteers; Mark Lazarus, of the Florida Department of Corrections; and Suzy Williams, program director for the The Children's Advocacy Center of Volusia and Flagler Counties, Inc. were all recognized for outstanding services to victims and their families. The Network’s awards were presented by President Christina Mouton.
As part of the ceremony, the Attorney General, the Governor, the former Attorneys General and the Cabinet members recognized the 25th anniversary of the Victims of Crime Act, the landmark legislation which established the Crime Victims Fund. The fund, comprised of fines and penalties assessed against convicted federal offenders, is the only federal program that funds services to help victims of all types of crime. Since its inception, more than $9 billion has been deposited into the fund, of which Florida has received over $250 million in victim assistance grants and just under $98 million in crime victim compensation grants.
In 1982 prior to the legislation’s enactment, President Ronald Reagan appointed a Task Force on Victims of Crime, which held public hearings in six cities across the nation to create a greatly needed national focus on the needs of crime victims. The Task Force’s final report offered 68 recommendations which became the framework for the advancement of new programs and policies. The Task Force’s final recommendation was to amend the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to guarantee that “…the victim, in every criminal prosecution, shall have the right to be present and to be heard at all critical stages of judicial proceedings….”
In 1983, The Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) was created by the U.S. Department of Justice to implement recommendations from President Reagan’s Task Force on Victims of Crime, and just two years after the passage of the Victims of Crime Act, the Office for Victims of Crime awarded the first grants to support state victim compensation and assistance programs.
In Florida, victim services and compensation is carried out by the Attorney General’s Division of Victim Services. The division not only serves as an advocate for crime victims and victims' rights, it also administers a compensation program to ensure financial assistance for innocent victims of crime. As part of its responsibility, the division also notifies victims of the status of any appellate decisions regarding their cases. More information is available online at: http://myfloridalegal.com.