Texas crime victims are trying to convince legislature to pass house bill 167 that would allow victims to have oral impact statements before sentencing. Crime victims should have the right to speak in court in front of a judge before the defendant is sentenced. If the defendants family and friends have a say in a courtroom then the victim should also have a say to defend themselves. No one knows the affect the crime has on a victim until the victim speaks out. In a recent case the parents of Amber Rice a young woman who was killed by a drunk driver, say they felt restless and powerless as they sat back in the courtroom watching the hearing of the man who killed their daughter. The defendant and his friends and family had an oral statement in the courtroom before sentencing, but the parents of Amber rice did not. If the defendant and his friends and family have a say in the courtroom then the victim should also have the right to do so. The victim might be emotional but should have equal rights just as everyone else who is speaking.
Texas is one of two states to forbid victims to have an oral impact statement before sentencing. Why not allow it?
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I read a classmates blog on how victims families should have a say in court before sentencing to share their feelings on the matter. No matter the circumstance, if a potentially guilty party is allowed to comment on the case, so too should the the victim. It seems nonsensical that this law has survived as long as it has in a state that id death penalty happy. Anyway, I agree, blah blah blah, Texas is disappointing, and enough. Well written, concise and very to the point. Good post.
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