Lambert v. Nebraska Crime Victims Reparations Board: Justice for Victims of Crime in Nebraska
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Authors
Vankat, Jay A.
Issue Date
1985
Volume
18
Issue
Type
Journal Article
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
INTRODUCTION|Violent crimes occur with staggering frequency in America from 1973 to 1979 there were an estimated 40,035,000 rape, robbery, and assault victimizations and 118,096 victims of homicide. While the numbers are overwhelming, it must be remembered that these "statistics" represent human lives. The tremendous increase in violent crime in recent decades has been accompanied by developments in criminal law advocating the rights of those accused of crimes and those convicted of crimes. In seeking protection for the rights of criminals, however, the rights of the victim were lost from view. The Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982 stated: "All too often the victim of serious crime is forced to suffer physical, psychological, or financial hardship first as a result of the criminal act and then as a result of contact with a criminal justice system unresponsive to the real needs of such victim." Recognizing the injustice rendered to innocent victims of crime, many states enacted victim compensation programs to ease the plight of the crime victim. This Comment will establish the validity of victim compensation programs through a review of the history of victim compensation and through discussion of the theoretical and practical justifications for governmental victim compensation programs. The adequacy of other remedies available to crime victims will also be examined...
Description
Citation
18 Creighton L. Rev. 401 (1984-1985)
Publisher
Creighton University School of Law