This week people across the country will be commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (April 2-8). This year’s theme is “Strength, Resilience, Justice” which, according to the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime reflects a vision for the future “… in which all victims are strengthened by the response they receive, organizations are resilient in response to challenges, and communities are able to seek collective justice and healing.”

Over the past month, we have talked with hundreds of crime victims and their families and the common thread among everyone we speak with is their strength, their resilience and their desire for fairness and justice. I have personally spoken with men and women who despite horrific acts of violence perpetrated against them or their loved ones are able to stand up and make their voices loud and clear – the time has come to ensure all crime victims gain the equal legal standing they deserve. 

All of us at Marsy’s Law for Maine are honored and humbled to be working on behalf of crime victims in Maine to put into place common-sense, constitutional protections that crime victims and families deserve. We will be kicking off our campaign on April 4th with a press conference at the State House. We are honored to have as speakers Senate President Michael Thibodeau, the primary sponsor of LD  1168 – “RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Establish a Victims’ Bill of Rights” – and House Majority Leader Erin Herbig, members of the Legislature who have made this bill a priority and signed on as co-sponsors, and most importantly, crime victims and their families who will share their story and why passage of this constitutional amendment is urgent and necessary.

I am honored to be a part of this statewide, bipartisan coalition, and look forward to working with anyone who is committed to making a difference in the lives of so many families.