March 23, 2021 in Regional, Top Stories

GRANT WOULD PROVIDE “SAFE SPACE FOR VICTIMS” IN COURTROOM SETTINGS

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The Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee has approved Senate Bill 513 called the “Safe Space for Victims: Grant Program.”

The legislation is sponsored by Senator Ferrell Haile on behalf of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference. The companion House Bill 744 sponsored by State Representative Michael Curcio, will be considered by the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee in coming weeks.

The bill establishes a grant to provide one-time funding for county governments across Tennessee to provide a safe, secure waiting area for crime victims to wait for hearings or trials and meeting with attorneys and counselors.

“We need these spaces available for not only jury trials be the hundreds of bond hearings, preliminary hearings and motion hearings where victims of domestic abuse as well as adult and child sex abuse have to be present to potentially testify or just observe proceedings as they are entitled as much as the defendants to be part of the court process. They should have a ‘safe space’ in which to retreat before or during hearings to not be in close proximity to their abuser or perpetrator,” said 9th District Attorney General Russell Johnson.

“It is an honor to champion this cause for victims and to fight side by side with our state’s elected District Attorneys on this important piece of legislation,” State Representative Curcio said. “It’s efforts like this grant program that show the rest of the country how much Tennessee cares about the needs of victims.”

“I appreciate the opportunity to work with our District Attorneys to pass legislation to provide a safe and secure place for these brave victims to await their court hearings,” Sen. Haile said.  “I am very encouraged by the support within the General Assembly for this legislation to benefit victims of crime.”

Counties interested in receiving funding will be able to apply to the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference for a $5,000 grant. Counties that do receive the funding will be required to provide a 25 percent match, which can come from in-kind donations.

“Victims’ rights are among District Attorneys’ top priorities,” said 30th District Attorney General Amy Weirich, current president of the organization. “At present, victims of crime are forced to wait in crowded courthouses, where they may be in close contact with the person who victimized them. This puts them in a vulnerable situation that could result in revictimization, intimidation or even an unwillingness to move forward with prosecution. This Safe Space bill would provide a much better experience for the brave victims who come forward, and we want to do everything we can to ensure they feel secure and confident in the court process.”

“This bill has been top-of-mind for District Attorneys for some time, and we are thrilled to see this legislation move forward,” Weirich said.

The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference was created by the General Assembly in 1961 to provide for a more prompt and efficient administration of justice in the courts of the state. It is composed of the elected District Attorneys General from the state’s 31 judicial districts.



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