San Francisco District Attorney Asks For More Money To Protect Witnesses
We keep hearing how hard it is to solve a murder case when witnesses are afraid to talk. Today
District Attorney Kamala Harris told the house judiciary committee the tragic story of Terrell Rollins who was killed last year. He was the only witness to the murder of Arkeylius Collins.
A judge had no choice but to toss out murder charges against the two men accused of Collins death.
Mamie Bagby, November 3, 2006: "I do believe god's will, will handle them so I have to leave it in god's hands at this point.
That was how Collins grandmother Mamie Bagby reacted then. Rollins had testified before the grand jury and was placed in the district attorney's witness protection program.
He was moved out of the city and told not to return. But Rollins came back to his old neighborhood where three masked men shot him to death.
A year later, Bagby still wants justice for her grandson but now understands why witnesses are reluctant to come forward.
Mamie Bagby: "They're afraid of the protection and they're afraid of the people who are committing the murders."
Harris testified that Rollins case was an example of how serious witness intimidation had become.
Kamala Harris, San Francisco District Attorney: "In many jurisdiction in fact, it has become an epidemic."
Many of the witnesses are young and moving them would pose a hardship. Bagby says relocation programs need to consider that.
Mamie Bagby: "They going to come back to see their families, so I think they need enough money to move the whole family."
Harris echoed that sentiment as she spoke in support of HR 933, a bill that would give law enforcement more money to relocate witnesses.
Kamala Harris: "Local and state witness relocation programs are severely under funded. In fact,
Harris has also recently testified in
Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.
