Opinion ID: 1165515
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Preamble; Victims' Rights and Public Safety

Text: Section 28, subdivision (a), is added to article I of the state Constitution expressing a grave statewide concern to enact safeguards in the criminal justice system for the protection of victims of crime. The preamble recites generally that the rights of victims include, among others, the right to restitution for financial losses, and the expectation that felons will be appropriately detained in custody, tried by the courts, and sufficiently punished so that public safety is protected and encouraged.... In addition, the provision states that [s]uch public safety extends to public ... school campuses, where students and staff have the right to be safe and secure in their persons. The preamble concludes by observing that broad reforms in the procedural treatment of accused persons and the disposition and sentencing of convicted persons are necessary and proper as deterrents to criminal behavior and to serious disruption of people's lives.