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House committee hears lengthy debate on proposed constitutional victims' rights amendment
Summary
Lawmakers and dozens of witnesses debated House Joint Resolution 1009, which would add an extensive victims' bill of rights to the Arkansas Constitution and give victims enforceable standing; prosecutors and advocates sharply disagreed over scope, standing and unintended legal consequences.
Representative Carolyn Brown introduced House Joint Resolution 1009 and explained an amendment removing Senator Gilmore as the Senate sponsor before laying out the proposed constitutional text.
The proposal would add an enumerated set of rights for crime victims — including protections from intimidation, notice of public proceedings, the right to confer with the prosecutor, timely disposition, restitution, and the ability to be reasonably heard — and would, crucially, give victims standing to assert those rights in any court with jurisdiction over the case.
The measure drew extensive testimony from victims and advocates who urged adoption, and from multiple elected prosecuting attorneys who urged caution or opposition. Laura Abbott, a citizen…
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