WHITEHALL, Wis. – The Trempealeau County District Attorney’s Office collaborated with Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin and New Horizons on May 18th to help spotlight the rights and resources readily available to victims.
Through a series of eight silhouettes inside the courthouse, observers could scan a QR code that linked directly to resources at the county and state levels, including Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin, New Horizons, and statewide crime victim information. Painted bright red for visibility, these silhouettes serve to provide further education on the criminal justice system, while representing the real people who are impacted in the community daily. Each silhouette highlighted a key right guaranteed to victims under Wisconsin’s constitutional crime victims’ rights amendment, known as Marsy’s Law, including: the rights to privacy, to notice, to confer with the prosecution, to be present, to be heard, to restitution, to know their rights, and to have these rights enforced.
“Too many victims navigate their pain from victimization in silence, unaware they have rights and how to use them,” said District Attorney John Sacia. “The rights provided to us only work if victims know their rights exist and have the means to act on them. The silhouettes among us are not strangers – they are our neighbors, family, and friends, who might find themselves interacting with the criminal justice system, bearing no responsibility for the crime. Crime victims’ deserve to be seen and heard.”
“Rights provided by Marsy’s Law, such as the right to privacy, to be present, and to be heard are crucial safeguards. They not only protect current victims who are interacting with the justice system at no fault of their own, but future victims’,” said New Horizons Director of Programming Heidi Svee, which provides support for victims of domestic abuse. “We hope the display will help educate folks in our area on their rights and the services available to them if they are or become a victim of crime.”
“We are grateful to the Trempealeau District Attorney’s Office and New Horizons for partnering with us to build greater understanding of Marsy’s Law and the resources available to victims in our community,” said Nela Kalpic, state director for Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin.
