Testimony on SB312 Melanie Holt 1312 Mount Hamilton Ct. Las Vegas, Nevada P1

Transcription

1 P1 To the Senate Transportation Committee. I am here in support of SB 312, legislation regarding Victim Impact Panels. I am here in support of SB 312 for very specific reasons. At the time of this horrific crash and loss of my brother on April 15, 2003 I was left to handle labyrinth of the court system, family financial dynamics after loosing the bread winner of the household and my own grief process. I was lost. I called down to the Victim Assistance at the District Attorneys office and was referred to Stop DUI. What an amazing group of volunteers I was introduced to. I was led and supported from beginning to end of the court system. I had a place to go each and every time I was faced with overwhelming sense of grief. I had a group of people to process my feelings with who knew exactly what it was that I was going through. All at no cost. Prior to this I had sought counseling and was faced with doctors who wanted to medicate me. Potentially making me part of the problem. Over the last 9 years I have been able to use my experience to help others as a volunteer for STOP DUI. I participate as a speaker at the VIP as they need me monthly, as well as a speaker at LVMPD/ Henderson PD supported programs at local high schools. I have also had direct contact assisting

2 P2 Other victims in many different ways. This contact with the community allows me to make sense out of a senseless tragedy knowing that my experience after Chris s death may help another victim, change the behavior of an offender or may even change the mind of teenager attending social events. It is very cathartic. The response I have received from offenders as well as high school students makes me believe I am doing the right thing. I am appalled at the recent deluge of VIP panels popping up with no over sight. I find it repugnant to see For Profit entities making money over tragedies and loss of life at the hands of drunk and impaired drivers and merely lining their pockets without any help to victims, their families or to the officers who are out there operating in our current economy with fewer resources to combat a growing epidemic. I strongly support over sight by the Department of Motor Vehicles. I believe that in proper design it will help to keep all entities seeking to provide this valuable community tool ethically responsible. When you look at the potential monies derived from this program there really has to be a strong ethical mindset in place so that there is no misappropriation of those funds. I believe that all VIP programs should be Non Profits as currently stated by law and that the monies generated should go back into the communities it serves. Directly to K 2

3 P3 Support victim s families, police and other programs designed to support our community against Drunk and Impaired drivers. Money derived from the VIP Panels is generated from the offenders within our community and therefore should stay and support the same community affected. No monies should be directed out of state for any reason. Nevadans bear the cost of these horrible and devastating crashes, why should money be redirected away from Nevada. STOP DUI has been able to through the VIP program provide to families such as mine direct and immediate assistance they otherwise would not be able to get any where else. I have seen first hand people flown in to town to be with their loved ones, who are hospitalized, attending funerals. Pay rents, utilities, groceries, personal care and the list goes on and on all at no burden to the City, County or State. I attended the New Beginnings VIP panel. I felt as though the information that was shared through power point presentation was something more suited to a DUI education program. Knowing the punishments one faces in the course of engaging the court system is not Victim Impact awareness. One speaker does not a panel make. And I don t believe that any offender should be part of any panel I frankly don t care how they are impacted after they K 3

4 1312 Mount Hamilton Ct p4 have killed or maimed someone. I also would not sit on a panel that has an offender speaking, I would not dishonor my brother s memory in such a way. I believe that when an offender hears from another offender it becomes more of a comparison type of result. I draw from my experience standing outside of the panels in the summer handing out cold water listening to offenders compare the various reasons that they are attending the program Gathering material off of You Tube to fill in time is not very original. Offenders show up impaired; I have seen this happen many times over the last 9 years. All panels should have a vetting process so that if an offender shows up drunk or impaired they do not attend at that time. While attending the New Beginnings program. I sat next to an offender who smelled of alcohol. I was surprised that this person was not challenged at sign in as to his sobriety. I also believe that there should be a standard across the board fee and that such fee should be one that reflects the seriousness of the crime of impaired driving. No one should be able to under cut fees in order to draw more people to their panel. As we all know the fines and fees add up for an offender and they will go to whatever is least expensive. K 4

5 P5 Is that how we value those lives affected by such a horrific crime or the speakers that come to share their stories at impact panels? Thank you for this opportunity to speak on such an important piece of legislation. I respectfully ask the members of the committee and the State Assembly to vote favorably for Senate Bill 312. K 5