April 27, 2023
In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 23-29, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt today issued the following statement:
“During this week, my office joins with many other prosecutors’ offices, law enforcement agencies, and community partners in commitment to listening to survivors and honoring them by working toward meaningful change.
“While the victims’ rights movement has made great strides over the past several decades, there is always more work to be done. This legislative session, I am supporting a package of bills aimed at centering the voices and needs of survivors in our criminal justice system.
“Just today, Multnomah County Victim Advocate Hope Hansmeyer is testifying before a legislative budget committee in support of expanded funding for victim advocate staffing in DA’s offices statewide. If we want to support crime victims as meaningfully as possible, we must support the advocates who are critical to ensuring that victims are treated with dignity and respect at every step.
“My office will continue its commitment to engaging with survivors and amplifying their voices as we push for change, as well as to creating an environment where survivors are confident they’ll be heard, believed, and supported.”
Victims’ rights legislation that the DA’s office is supporting this session includes:
- HB 2391 – Expanded funding for victim advocates
- HB 2676 – Expanding crime victim compensation
- SB 321 – Providing support for the retrial of non-unanimous convictions, including victim services
- SB 867 – Addressing “forfeiture by wrongdoing” and protecting the safety of crime victims
Resources for victims of crime in Oregon can be found on the Attorney General’s website, the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center website, and on the MCDA website.
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