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Pa. State Rep. Vereb On Revictimization Relief Act Ruling: "I'm Not Taking This As A Defeat, Rather A Speed Bump"

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Pennsylvania judge struck down the six month old "Revictimization Relief Act" which was inspired by convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal being invited to give a commencement speech at Goddard College.

State Rep. Mike Vereb (R-150th) told Talk Radio 1210 WPHT midday host Dom Giordano this is "a fight and this is the first bell in this fight and we're going to continue."

 

"This is more than an issue of constitutionality. This is a far left leaning organization, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) who our victims do not have an ACLU. We are it. The legislature are it. With unanimous votes on that bill and 38 votes on that bill out of 50 in the state senate and a governor to sign it, that's far from bill motivated legislation and we'll pursue any legal appeal that we have possible. I've publicly invited the ACLU to the table, if they're to willing to actually defend victim's rights and we'll involve them in redrafting law if we have to, but I'm not taking this as a defeat, rather a speed bump on a road that we hit every day as we drive in this game in the legislature. We're going to fight for the victims. All that they've done is engage and further me and my colleagues on this issue."

Vereb feels that the judge's opinion seemed to miss that the bill merely created a "cause for action for equitable relief" and it is the court's responsibility as the "stewards of the scales of justice" to make the right judgment.

"Since when did our founding fathers say, that once trial is done our victims, just go and live in anguish and deal with it the best way you can, but you criminal thugs that we're going to put in prison, you have all of the rights. You just can't leave the building right now."

He plans on this being primary focus for the rest of his career.

"All I am going to focus on the rest of my legislative career on whether it's two years, ten years or twenty years, is that we balance out the scales of justice so that our victims have those rights post-trial."

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