NCJ Number
165521
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
An interview with the mother of Stephanie Roper, who was murdered in 1982 in Maryland, indicates support for the role of victims at criminal trials and a belief that victim participation does not tip the scales of justice or bias juries.
Abstract
Stephanie Roper's mother has been responsible for pushing nearly three dozen laws through the Maryland legislature to provide restitution to crime victims, give victims the right to file impact statements with courts, and order courts to notify victims of all hearings involving their assailants. The mother believes victims and survivors want the criminal justice system to give them information, need a certain amount of compassion and understanding, and want satisfaction with the criminal justice process. She feels victims should be heard in criminal trials and strongly recommends grass roots efforts by victims and survivors to ensure the criminal justice process is not dominated by judges, prosecutors, and lawyers.