CVU & Nina Salarno Besselman ... Standing up for your rights
April 9, 2020
Honorable Chief Justice Tani G Cantil-Sakauye
Supreme Court of California
350 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102-4797
Dear Honorable Chief Justice,
First, we at Crime Victims United hope that this finds you, your family and colleagues healthy and safe during these unprecedented times.
On behalf of Crime Victims United I am contacting you with concern regarding the emergency order for denial of bail hearings. The order completely ignores the 2018 California Constitution Article I - Declaration of Rights Section 28 (b) (3}, "To have the safety of the victim and the victim's family considered in fixing the amount of bail and release conditions for the defendant." Victims must be considered in bail setting and release conditions. Furthermore, it is an enumerated right of the People of the State of California to have the safety of the victims considered in setting bail. Thus, having just, a denial hearing and then "zero" bail is clearly in violation of this right.
The emergency order does not address this all-important issue. Therefore, the order is jeopardizing lives of many victims and the People of California. Many of the cases that would be zero bail are very violent and place victim in jeopardy such as domestic abuse, elder abuse etc.
On behalf of victims and public safety, I am voicing my strong objection to the current emergency order. Despite difficult times the safety of California must be the highest of priority.
Nina Salarno Besselman
Executive Director / President