SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1997-8661

By Senators Fairley, Hargrove, Kline, Kohl, Franklin, Spanel, Bauer, Wood, Thibaudeau, Oke, Fraser, Brown, Horn, Jacobsen, Zarelli, Snyder, Johnson, Loveland, Patterson, Rasmussen, Goings, McCaslin, Roach, McAuliffe and Long

     WHEREAS, One violent crime is committed in America every eighteen seconds; and

     WHEREAS, Thirty-six million nine hundred thousand Americans are victimized in the United States each year, and of those, nine million nine hundred thousand are victims of violent crime; and

     WHEREAS, Crime victims play an indispensable role in bringing offenders to justice; and

     WHEREAS, Law-abiding citizens are no less deserving of justice, rights, resources, restoration, and rehabilitation than the violent offenders who victimize them; and

     WHEREAS, Crime victims and their advocates over the past two decades have made unparalleled progress toward balancing the scales of justice in our criminal justice system; and

     WHEREAS, The bells of liberty and justice are ringing across America in support of the millions of survivors of crime, their families, and advocates who deserve justice; and

     WHEREAS, As a nation devoted to liberty and justice for all, America must increase its efforts to protect, restore, and expand crime victims' rights; and

     WHEREAS, The residents of the state of Washington seek to join forces with victim service programs, criminal justice officials, and concerned citizens throughout the country to observe National Crime Victims' Rights Week;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington state Senate designate April 13, 1997, through April 19, 1997, as Washington Crime Victims' Rights Week; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington state Senate reaffirm a commitment to address victims' rights and criminal justice issues during 1997 Washington Crime Victims' Rights Week and throughout the year; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to The Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates and Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims.

I, Mike O=Connell, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 1997-8661,

adopted by the Senate April 16, 1997.

MIKE O=CONNELL

Secretary of the Senate