Fighting Back : Crime: In Santa Ana, a victims-rights group submits petitions with 150,000 signatures. They seek an overhaul of the statewide criminal trials system to eliminate long delays before trials.

A victims rights group, including families hurt by three of the most prolific serial killers in the Southland, on Wednesday turned in 150,000 signatures to the Orange County registrar of voters office in Santa Ana in support of a statewide court reform initiative.

Group leaders said they have collected 1 million signatures across California, far more than the 595,000 needed to qualify the measure for the June, 1990, statewide ballot.

When the 16 boxes of petitions were officially submitted, the small band of supporters cheered as group leader Collene Campbell pointed to the skies and said, “Hey guys, this is for our guys up there.”

She was referring to the murdered sons and daughters of many in the crowd. Many of the parents have expressed frustration that those accused of the murders have dragged their cases through the court system.

The initiative is designed to sharply reduce the amount of time between a defendant’s arrest and trial. It is strongly opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union and most defense lawyer organizations. It has also been criticized by Atty. Gen. John K. Van de Kamp, who has said he is worried that it could affect the rights of individuals.

Many lawyers who oppose the initiative agree with Orange County Deputy Public Defender Michael P. Giannini, who called it “a stampede to justice” that would unfairly jeopardize a defendant’s rights.

But the district attorneys of all 58 state counties support it, and backers attribute much of its success to Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.), who is a fervent supporter.

Anthony J. Rackauckas, a former Orange County prosecutor and one of those who wrote the proposal, told the group Wednesday that the measure only brings California in line with other states.

“In California, it’s taking a year and a half to two years to bring a murder case--and not a celebrated case--to trial,” Rackauckas said. “We think we should be in line with a lot of other states, and the federal government, where we could bring a case to trial in just a few months.”

Rackauckas later said he is confident that the hardest part is over: qualifying for the ballot. A previous effort by group members failed last year when they could not raise enough money to mount a statewide petition drive.

The group, Memory of Victims Everywhere, has raised more than $500,000 to conduct the petition drive, according to state Sen. Edward R. Royce (R-Anaheim), one of its major leaders.

“We have not begun to grapple with how much we are going to need for the campaign to win in June,” Royce said.

The initiative’s backers believe that their support will come mainly from the same people who voted against then-California Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird and two of her colleagues in 1986. The three justices were overwhelmingly voted out of office.

“It’s the same sentiment, to do away with the whatever is impeding justice,” Rackauckas said.

Speakers at Wednesday’s gathering included two couples whose sons were murdered by convicted serial killer Randy Steven Kraft and Freeway Killer William G. Bonin, who is on Death Row.

“We have suffered 9 1/2 years waiting for justice,” said Barbara Beihn, whose 16-year-old son, Steven, was one of Bonin’s victims.

Also present was Ginny Petersen, a 31-year-old former postal clerk. She and her husband, Christopher, were both shot in the head by convicted Night Stalker Richard Ramirez, who last week was sentenced to the death penalty in Los Angeles.

“I believe the voters (through the 1 million signatures gathered on initiative petitions) are telling us that we no longer need to be victims, that we can be survivors and go on,” Petersen told the group.

Petersen, who had been under a court gag order along with other victims in the Ramirez case, was making her first public appearance.

“There is a lot of pain represented here today,” said group leader Campbell, who has lost three relatives to murderers. Her son, Scott, was murdered in 1982, and her brother, racing entrepreneur Mickey Thompson, and his wife, Trudy, were shot to death in front of their home in Los Angeles County last year.

The deadline to file signatures across the state is Nov. 7, Royce said. But the petitions have now been turned in for San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties and will be turned in in all the Northern California counties by the end of next week, Campbell said.

If the initiative passes, its provisions would take effect in January, 1991.

The main impact of the initiative would be to eliminate the need for many preliminary hearings, which usually mean a trial delay in felony cases of six months or more. It would also allow police officers to provide most of the preliminary hearing testimony, reducing the length of such proceedings. Rackauckas said most preliminary hearings are now virtual mini-trials.

One provision vehemently protested by defense lawyers would make it difficult for them to take court-appointed assignments unless they can guarantee the judge that their other cases will not cause delays.