Chabot holds hearing on making criminals pay

According to Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood, the vast majority of money that criminals are ordered by federal courts to pay their victims or the family of their victims (87 percent) goes uncollected each year - to the tune of $40 billion.

A hearing by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism & Homeland Security was held today on a bill Chabot introduced that would help victims recover this money.

Daniel Levey, the President of the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children Inc., a Cincinnati-based organization, was one of the witnesses.

Here's what he had to say: “Restitution holds the offender accountable and, when paid, helps offset the economic loss experienced by the victim, who is often left with medical bills, funeral costs and other expenses. In some cases, a murder takes the life of the primary breadwinner, leaving no way to even pay the rent.”

This bill comes after President Bush signed into law last year a bill from Chabot that authorizes grants to states for the DNA testing of all unidentified human remains. Chabot plans to hold a hearing on that law's progress next week.