By Lewis of Tarrant H.C.R. No. 119 76R8749 MTD-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Violent crime affects the lives of millions of 1-2 Americans each year, often causing grave physical, financial, and 1-3 emotional harm to victims and their families; and 1-4 WHEREAS, The United States Constitution grants those accused 1-5 of crimes many constitutional rights, such as a speedy trial, a 1-6 trial by jury, counsel, the right to be free from unreasonable 1-7 searches and seizures, the right to confront witnesses, and the 1-8 right to due process under the law; and 1-9 WHEREAS, The United States Constitution grants no rights to 1-10 crime victims; they have no right to be informed of or to be 1-11 present at criminal proceedings, no right to be heard at sentencing 1-12 or at a parole hearing, and no right to be warned of danger from 1-13 the release or escape of their attacker; and 1-14 WHEREAS, This lack of rights for crime victims has caused 1-15 many victims and their families to suffer twice, once at the hands 1-16 of the criminal, and again at the hands of a justice system that 1-17 fails to protect them; and 1-18 WHEREAS, In 1989, citizens of Texas overwhelmingly approved a 1-19 state constitutional amendment to enumerate and protect the rights 1-20 of crime victims, and 31 other states have passed similar measures; 1-21 these actions, while welcome, are insufficient because each 1-22 state's level of protection is different and crime victim 1-23 protection properly should be national in scope; and 1-24 WHEREAS, The federal Crime Victim Rights Amendment would 2-1 bring balance to the judicial system by giving crime victims the 2-2 right to be informed, present, and heard at critical stages 2-3 throughout their ordeal and would establish a basic level of crime 2-4 victims' rights for all Americans; now, therefore, be it 2-5 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-6 hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to 2-7 propose and submit to the states for ratification the Crime Victim 2-8 Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution; and, be it 2-9 further 2-10 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-11 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 2-12 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of 2-13 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all members of the 2-14 Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this 2-15 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a 2-16 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.