Skip to main content skip navigation
  • Account
    • Login
    • Manage
  • Subscribe
    • JUSTINFO
    • Register
  • Shopping Cart
  • Contact Us
    • Email
    • Feedback
    • Chat
    • Phone or Mail
  • Site Help
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
Office of Justice Programs header with links to bureaus/offices: BJA, BJS, NIJ, OJJDP, OVC, SMART Office of Justice Programs BJA BJS NIJ OJJDP OVC SMART Office of Justice Programs
Advanced Search  Search Help
    Browse By Topics  down arrow
  • A–Z Topics
  • Corrections
  • Courts
  • Crime
  • Crime Prevention
  • Drugs
  • Justice System
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Law Enforcement
  • Victims
CrimeSolutions
Add your conference to our Justice Events calendar
  • ABOUT NCJRS
  • OJP PUBLICATIONS
  • LIBRARY
  • SEARCH Q & A
  • GRANTS & FUNDING
  • JUSTICE EVENTS
Home / Publications / NCJRS Abstract

PUBLICATIONS

Register for Latest Research

Stay Informed
Register with NCJRS to receive NCJRS's biweekly e-newsletter JUSTINFO and additional periodic emails from NCJRS and the NCJRS federal sponsors that highlight the latest research published or sponsored by the Office of Justice Programs.

NCJRS Abstract

The document referenced below is part of the NCJRS Virtual Library collection. To conduct further searches of the collection, visit the Virtual Library. See the Obtain Documents page for direction on how to access resources online, via mail, through interlibrary loans, or in a local library.

1 record(s) found

 

NCJ Number: 155471 Find in a Library
Title: Victims' Rights and the Son of Sam Law: Implications for Free Speech and Research on Offenders
Journal: Criminal Justice Policy Review  Volume:6  Issue:4  Dated:(December 1992)  Pages:275-290
Author(s): R Alexander Jr
Date Published: 1992
Annotation: In 1978, New York passed legislation, known as the Son of Sam Law, to prevent criminals from receiving money from selling their stories to publishers and movie producers.
Abstract: This legislation resulted from publicity associated with the 1978 serial murders by David Berkowitz. Subsequently, more than 40 States and the Federal Government passed similar legislation. Proponents of the legislation hailed it as a step toward victim rights, while opponents viewed it as a serious encroachment upon first amendment rights. In 1991, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held the Son of Sam Law to be unconstitutional, and victim rights advocates saw this as a serious blow to their movement. The author notes that the law is more complex than a simple conflict between victim rights and criminal rights. For example, the law is directed primarily at publishers and criminal offenders but its broad reach encompasses social scientists who pay offenders for participation in research studies. Therefore, the Son of Sam Law has serious implications for criminal justice policy and research and for first amendment rights. Protecting victim rights is essential but not at the expense of the fundamental rights of all citizens. Legal challenges to the Son of Sam Law at Federal and State levels are discussed. 38 references
Main Term(s): Victims rights
Index Term(s): Corrections; Criminal justice research; Freedom of speech; New York; State laws; US Supreme Court decisions
Page Count: 16
Format: Article
Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
Language: English
Country: United States of America
To cite this abstract, use the following link:
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=155471

*A link to the full-text document is provided whenever possible. For documents not available online, a link to the publisher's website is provided. Tell us how you use the NCJRS Library and Abstracts Database - send us your feedback.




Find in a Library

You have clicked Find in a Library. A title search of WorldCat, the world's largest library network, will start when you click "Continue." Here you will be able to learn if libraries in your community have the document you need. The results will open in a new browser and your NCJRS session will remain active for 30 minutes. Learn More.

You have selected:

This article appears in

In WorldCat, verify that the library you select has the specific journal volume and issue in which the article appears. Learn How.

Continue to WorldCat

You are about to access WorldCat, NCJRS takes no responsibility for and exercises no control over the WorldCat site.

 
Office of Justice Programs Facebook Page  Twitter Page
  • Bureau of Justice Assistance Facebook Page Twitter Page
  • Bureau of Justice Statistics Twitter Page
  • National Institute of Justice Facebook Page Twitter Page
  • Office for Victims of Crime Facebook Page Twitter Page
  • Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Facebook Page Twitter Page
  • Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking Facebook Page Twitter Page
Contact Us | Feedback | Site Map
Freedom of Information Act | Privacy Statement | Legal Policies and Disclaimers
USA.gov | CrimeSolutions
Department of Justice | Office of Justice Programs