Arizona Supreme Court Allows Families of Murdered Minors to Seek Future Lost Wages

The Arizona Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that families of murdered children may seek restitution for the child's future lost wages, provided claims are based on reasonable, evidence-supported estimates rather than speculation. This decision overturns previous lower court rulings that deemed such claims too speculative and consequential to qualify as economic loss. The Court found that when a murder directly and immediately prevents a child from ever earning income, the resulting financial loss is a direct effect of the crime and thus may qualify for restitution. The ruling remands the specific case—where a 6-year-old's family sought over $3 million in lost wages—back to the trial court to determine if a rational basis exists for estimating these losses. This decision further clarifies the scope of Arizona’s Victims’ Bill of Rights and strengthens protections for victims' families. Ultimately, courts must ensure that restitution for future lost income is calculated with reasonable certainty, not conjecture.