This is a case study in the development of a statutory policy concerning victims' rights in the death penalty phase of capital trials in New Jersey. It employs the case method in the analysis of criminal justice policy development. It initially examines the historic roots of policy development as a field of study and then examines the factors leading to a new policy on victim impact testimony. It focuses on the key positions taken by the major stakeholders in the policy debate in the state legislature as well as the subsequent court challenge. Legislative testimony and legal briefs are examined. The study concludes that policy development is a rational process reflecting a careful balancing of political and legal interests.
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