Oregon court orders re-sentencing after judge cuts off victim
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The Oregon Supreme Court has ordered a man to be re-sentenced after the courtroom statement of his victim was cut off.
As part of a domestic violence trial, Dana Parks was giving a victim impact statement in a lower court when the judge there cut her off and proceeded to sentence her abuser without allowing her to finish. That violated her constitutional right to be heard, the state Supreme Court said in a unanimous decision Wednesday.
The court ordered Zachary Ball to be re-sentenced in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Ball had pleaded guilty in December to assault, attempted assault, and coercion against Parks. The decision elaborates on earlier rulings limiting courts’ ability to stop victims during their statements.
