Allen v. Sanders

OPINION

NORRIS, Judge:

¶ 1 When the victim of a criminal offense is killed, Arizona’s Victims’ Bill of Rights (“VBR”) allows “any other person related to the [deceased victim] by consanguinity or affinity to the second degree” to be treated as the victim. The issue in this special action concerns the meaning of “affinity.”

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

¶ 2 A grand jury indicted Petitioner, Sammantha Allen, for first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit child abuse, and child abuse arising out of the death of “AD.” According to the State, “KD” witnessed Allen abusing AD. KD is the biological…