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Justice for All Reauthorization Act Heads to President’s Desk

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) released these statements after the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Justice for All Reauthorization Act, which comes on the heels of passage in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week:

“The Justice for All Reauthorization Act will strengthen the rights of crime victims by providing the protection they need to restore their lives, and enhance law enforcement’s ability to proactively stop violent criminals,” Sen. Cornyn said. “I’m thankful for Sen. Leahy’s work on this legislation, and for the support of my colleagues in Congress as we help victims around the country rebuild their lives.”

“As a former prosecutor, I am dedicated to ensuring the integrity of our criminal justice system.  It is an outrage when an innocent person is wrongly convicted and imprisoned, and we must not let rape victims live in fear while evidence languishes in storage and criminals remain on our streets,” Sen. Leahy said.  “I have long championed the Justice for All Act to make our justice system more fair.  I thank Sen. Cornyn for working with me over the course of several years to get this bill signed into law.  As we consider legislation next Congress, we must remember that we have a continuing obligation to look out for all victims and to create fairness in our criminal justice system.”

The legislation strengthens crime victims’ rights in the courtroom, increases access to restitution and restorative services, and reauthorizes important law enforcement investigative programs. The bill would help reduce the nationwide rape kit backlog and provide resources for forensic labs while protecting the innocent by improving access to post-conviction DNA testing.