Ron Reinstein was one of the more respected Maricopa County Superior Court judges in his 22 years on the bench that ended with his 2007 retirement.
It was the former that recently earned Judge Reinstein a big honor in Washington D.C. during National Crime Victims' Week.
He was one of a handful of folks from around the nation honored by the the U.S. Office for Victims of Crimes for "promoting victims' rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf."
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder presented the annual award to Reinstein, who currently is a judicial consultant to the Arizona Supreme Court, as well as a national expert on the intersection of forensic sciences (including DNA) and the criminal-justice system.
In a video shown at the presentation, Reinstein said, "It's extremely important that victims be given not only that voice in the system, but also at least the same rights that defendants have. And without that, I think we dishonor them and forget about the harm they've suffered."
