For the past 30 years or so, law enforcement agencies, prosecutor's offices and crime victim organizations across the nation observe a week in April each year as National Victims' Awareness Week. During this week, we put the spotlight on what is perhaps the most important facet of the entire criminal justice and judicial system; the victims. So often, victims get lost in the shuffle of the system. Hopefully, with events across the nation, the system will recommit the energy and resources required to ensure that crime victims receive the same considerations as those who are actually accused of committing the crimes.<br />
<br />
Without sacrificing any of the constitutional rights of the accused, it seems ludicrous that the victims of their actions do not receive an equal amount of representation as they work their way through the system in pursuit of justice. Ensuring that a defendant receives a fair trial should never mean that a victim must receive an unfair one. Victim organizations have always called for simply an even playing field as it pertains to their unsolicited, unwanted, and undeserved venture into our nation's court system. While this goal has not yet been achieved, it is remarkable how much has been achieved in this venture in recent years. Victimization should not be confined to only that person to whom the crime was directly committed. A long and ever expanding list of mothers, fathers, entire families and friends are almost always victimized, based on anyone's definition of the word, as direct fallout of the actual crime. Victims often refer to these ordeals as nightmares and for so many of them the nightmare can go on for years. For others, it will remain with them forever. <br />
<br />
We recently held a wreath ceremony at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Building to kick off the week and to honor those who had fallen victim to crime. The theme this year is "Reshaping the future
