Date: Fri, 17  May  2002 10:01:11 -0400
From: "The American Civil Liberties Union" <belmonte@MIT.EDU>
Content-type: text/plain
To: "The American Civil Liberties Union" <belmonte@MIT.EDU>
Subject: oppose SJRes 35 / HJRes 91
Message-Id: <20020517140436.3E26859B52@outbound.capwiz.com>

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Message sent to the following recipients:
Sen. Kennedy
Sen. Kerry
Message text follows:

Matthew Belmonte
[address]


May 17, 2002

[recipient address was inserted here]


 [recipient name was inserted here],

As your constituent, I urge you to oppose S.J. Res. 35/H.J. Res. 91, the 
so-called “Victims Rights Amendment.”

Victims of crime should be heard and protected, but we must not 
unnecessarily and recklessly change the Constitution, which has been 
amended only 17 times in 209 years. Amending the Constitution should be 
reserved for only those occasions when no other alternative is available, 
and that is not the case with victims' rights.  Every state has either a 
constitutional amendment or a statute - or both - that protects victims' 
rights.

More importantly, the proposed amendment would jeopardise the principle of 
innocence until proven guilty, and the right to a fair trial.  Amending 
the Constitution to allow victims to voice their opinions at every step of 
a prosecution may undermine the ability of the courts to operate in an 
impartial and fair manner. We can ensure that victims have a say in seeing 
that justice is done without amending the Constitution or putting the 
rights of the accused at risk.

Again, I urge you to oppose S.J. Res. 35/H.J. Res. 91.  

I look forward to hearing your perspective on this important matter.

Sincerely,


Matthew Belmonte