Why couldn't an estate be liquidated? Create a fund for the TRULY destitute, but you have to lose all assets first. I could get behind a fund like that.
So, in this case, we would put the convict's TV and couch on Ebay and use the proceeds to pay for the rape kit?
Actually, it isn't a "fund". The $5 law was a revenue generator for sexual assault programs for the non-profit Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, an organization that calls itself an "educational and advocacy organization based in Austin, TAASA member agencies comprise a statewide network of over 80 crisis centers that serve rural as well as metropolitan areas. Founded in 1982, the agency has a strong record of success in community education, youth outreach, law enforcement training, legislative advocacy, and curricula and materials development. " The money was not meant to go into a vittim's pocket or anything. Regardless, the law was challenged and will eventually go away and TAASA has not gotten any money. All of that was in the Chronicle article.
Why stop at rape kits? If your car gets stolen, I think you should have to pay for the detectives time to investigate the crime. It's just common sense.
OK, you've got us all laughing now. You got us. Good one. Go ahead and admit that you can't seriously be this shallow.
1800 dollars for a rape kit? Instead of charging at titty bars how bout we limit the ridiculous markup by hospitals.
Apparently I can be, in your opinion. I don't think it is a shallow statement at all. Rather, it is common sense, if you do the crime, the damage you created must be paid. If you can't afford to fix the damage you created, fine. But you will lose everything before the Gov't pay a dime. Seriously, this is exactly how it works if you need a court appointed lawyer. They will take everything but your house and car. I guess you didn't know thi\s?
You still haven't addressed what would happen in a case where the perpetrator is never caught/convicted. Does the victim then have to pay because the law wasn't able to help?
I'm actually going to agree with Fatty on this to an extent. I absolutely could get behind a law that allowed the state to seek repayment of their expenses from a convicted person. If you rape Jane and are found guilty, I'd be fine with the state going after you for the money they spent on a rape kit, psych evaluation, etc. If that meant the perp had to give up their tv and couch, oh well.
Your position precludes the existence of an established legal principle. Restitution has been around for a long time.
? I wasn't aware that the SoT could go after a convicted rapist to repay the state for their legal expenses (rape kit, etc.) I'm not talking about compensating the victim here. If that's on the books, that's great! I think it should be automatic. You get found guilty, the state gets their money back.
I'm not a lawyer, and I may misunderstand the applicability in the singular crime of rape, but restitution has been around forever. I'm sure states have differing laws regarding specific crimes, so maybe some of our resident lawyers can weigh in. I'm sure many perpetrators of violent crime have vast estates that can be liquidated for huge sums. So maybe FFB's on to something.
I can't even get to the merits of the fund cause I'm stuck on what strip clubs have to do with sex assault.
That's a good question. I'm guessing sexually oriented business / sexual offense (although rape is generally a crime of power). Not nearly the same correlation that there is between bars and DWI, but I guess that was someone's idea. I don't know why I have to pay a surcharge when I visit a hotel in (name a major city) just so the local sports team can pay for their new stadium, but that seems pretty common, too. These things don't always make sense.
I wanted to say sin tax. But I think OP has a point there, not a popular one though. Where is the logical stopping point? The families of murder victims are often without help financially, especially so if the victim is the breadwinner of the family. Should they be helped. Victim of theft, robbery, battery, on and on, where do we draw the line?
Sexually assaulted women sometimes go into stripping or p*rn. They sadly carry on the objectification later in life...thats the correlation that first came to mind at least....Or maybe its just sticking it to dirty strip clubs so they contribute to something "moral" or something. Paying for the kit, thats kinda linked into the thinking that a woman shouldnt be wearing revealing clothing to make herself 'susceptible' to potential assault...I'm all for suppressing some of the built-in advantages for females in the system. But if women were in charge they'd make sure this is as cost free as possible. And I'd reluctantly have to agree with it...
