Victim's Advocates and Private Prosecutors
December 13, 2005
Norm Pattis has a very interesting column (free regis req'd)in the latest Connecticut Law Tribune regarding Connecticut's use of victim's advocates. Norm decries the state's requiring a victim's advocate to be present during plea hearings. In Connecticut, Norm argues, victims are becoming de facto prosecutors, as no one will refuse the wishes of the complaining witness. There's no longer a public prosecutor to act as the voice of reason, telling the complaining witness why his or her case might fail. The full column is here.