How typical that the opposition to Governor Malloy’s nominee to become state government’s victim advocate was based on what may have been his greatest qualification. That is, the nominee, Garvin Ambrose, an assistant prosecutor and legislative liaison for the state’s attorney’s office in Cook County, Illinois, represented that office before the Illinois legislature in opposing a “victims’ rights” amendment to the Illinois Constitution. Ambrose was approved last week by the General Assembly’s Legislative Nominations Committee but four members of the Republican minority voted against him in part because of the amendment issue.
A “victims’ rights” amendment was added to Connecticut’ Constitution in 1996 but it was just phony posturing. The amendment leaves “victim” to be defined by the legislature, perhaps because in the context of criminal justice the term is a misnomer to begin with. For in court nobody is a victim until a judgment is rendered; there are not victims but accusers. To designate a victim prior to a judgment is prejudicial and unconstitutional.
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