Victims' Rights Issues Wa State

Victims’ Rights Issues in WA State

E.F.

12 October 2015

Introduction

The goal of this work is to educate the reader on challenges faced by the Washington State court administrators as well as victims’ rights challenges. The issue faced by court administrators of language barriers and availability of court interpreters will be investigated. A summary of the current state of these victims’ rights, their impact on criminal law proceedings and a description of one change proposal to the criminal court system regarding victims’ rights will be given.

Current State of Victims’ Rights

Washington State views victims’ rights with the utmost sincerity and action as possible. It is a cooperative process, which has players from law enforcement, the court system, lawmakers and the community. Currently, the state’s declared intent found within RCW 7.69.010 reads within the law as follows:

“In recognition of the severe and detrimental impact of crime on victims, survivors of victims, and witnesses of crime and the civic and moral duty of victims, survivors of victims, and witnesses of crimes to fully and voluntarily cooperate with law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, and in further recognition of the continuing importance of such citizen cooperation to state and local law enforcement efforts and the general effectiveness and well-being of the criminal justice system of this state, the legislature declares its intent, in this chapter, to grant to the victims of crime and the survivors of such victims a significant role in the criminal justice system” (RCW 7.69.010).

Impact on Criminal Law Proceedings

Because of legislature such as RCW 7.69.010, the impact upon criminal law proceedings has been primarily positive. The good intentions remain that the victims’ are ensured to be treated in a manner upholding dignity, respect, courtesy, sensitivity etc., just as the criminal defendants are also protected (RCW 7.69.010). Washington State also attempts to provide additional support and resources for the victims’ of crime through the grant funded Office of Crime Victims’ Advocacy, also known as OCVA. Their mission is to “identify the opportunities and resources victims need in order to recover and to facilitate the availability of those resources and opportunities in communities statewide” (). However, there are also flaws in the Washington State criminal law proceedings which do not currently satisfy the legal intent given.

Language Barriers

One such flaw is found with language barriers. From the very start of a victim’s