Community

County celebrates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

Apr 10, 2011

At its Wednesday meeting, the Pinal County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation declaring April 10 to April 16 as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

“This year’s theme is ‘Reshaping the Future. Honoring the Past,’ urging us to remember how far we have come in supporting victims’ rights within the legal system over the past few years,” said James P. Walsh, Pinal County Attorney, who presented the proclamation to the Board of Supervisors. “My office will always work to provide support to those harmed by crime.”

Pinal County residents are invited to join local officials for the kick-off in Florence at noon, April 11, in front of the Pinal County Superior Court Complex, located at 971 N. Jason Lopez Circle.

The Pinal County Attorney’s Office and non-profit organizations throughout the county are sponsoring events to promote awareness and inform residents of their rights. Events include:

• Informational outreach events,
• Ice cream social events
• a community event at the Promenade Mall (near the theatres) in Casa Grande on Friday, April 15, starting at 4 p.m. with a candlelight walk in honor of Arizona murder victims at 6 p.m., free food and music, an art display and information from local social and victim service providers

Recognition of victims’ rights has progressed dramatically since the 1980s. All states and the federal government have comprehensive victims’ rights laws and 33 states, including Arizona, have constitutional amendments to protect victims’ rights. The federal “Justice for All Act” of 2004 and specific Arizona laws also protect victims.

“I am very proud of each and every person working for the County Attorney’s Victims’ Services Unit,” Walsh said. “Their work is very often hard and painful.”

For more information go to:
The Pinal County Attorney’s Web site
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/CountyAttorney/Pages/Home.aspx or

The National Crime Victims’ Rights Week of the U.S. Department of Justice
http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/

Submitted photo