At age 13, Alex Otte's life changed forever. At a lake in Kentucky with her family, Otte was on a jet ski when a 17-foot bass boat slammed into her at nearly 70 miles per hour. The boat operator was intoxicated. Suffering a severe brain injury, a broken neck and collarbone, a shattered jaw, a lacerated liver, two shattered femurs, and the loss of her right leg below the knee, doctors had little hope Otte would survive. However, against the odds, Otte not only survived but she has thrived. 

Ann Bauers is the Founder and Executive Director of the National Justice and Hope for Crime Victims with headquarters in Grayson, Kentucky. Ann’s journey sadly and tragically began when her son Brian Keith Waugh was murdered in his home on July 11, 2003. At that time there was no support group for his family who were devastated by his death. Ann was a driving force behind the first support and advocacy group in the Grayson, Kentucky area. As of January 2019, the organization has become a national non-profit organization and opened an additional chapter in Louisville, Kentucky. Today, National Justice and Hope for Crime Victims serves hundreds of crime victims each year giving them emotional support and linkage to local resources.

When the pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt, it brought with it a sudden loss of stability and control, isolation and helplessness. The world as we knew it was no longer the one we lived in. Over the past year, we have had to figure out what it means to live our lives now. People began talking about our “new normal” instead of getting back to normal.  

"Victims of crime aren't always informed about the process."

Donna Pollard dares to believe in a world where young girls can be free from abuse and exploitation. A native of Kentucky -- a state burdened with thousands of cases of abuse and a history of child marriage -- she is leading the charge for change.

Louisville, Ky. (April 8, 2019) – Marsy’s Law for Kentucky and its many supporters are hopeful that the annual National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) will send a positive message to the Kentucky Supreme Court as it considers the fate of the constitutional amendment and whether to uphold the will of more than 800,000 Kentucky voters who supported it.

Via Ky Forward:

2018 was a milestone year for crime victims’ rights in Kentucky thanks to courageous legislators, determined advocates and hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians. Marsy’s Law was the first bill to pass in the General Assembly and then went to the ballot winning support from 63% of Kentucky voters.

MEDIA CONTACT:
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KENTUCKY VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT ADDING MARSY’S LAW TO STATE CONSTITUTION
Voters clearly endorse equal rights for crime victims
 

Louisville, Ky. (November 6, 2018) – Kentucky voters spoke loud and clear on Election Day declaring their strong support for adding Marsy’s Law to the state’s constitution. After a three-year educational campaign, voters overwhelmingly agreed that victims should be afforded rights equal to those already provided to the accused and convicted

Thank you for your strong and unwavering support of equal rights for Kentucky crime victims. Without you, Marsy’s Law for Kentucky would not be so close to the finish line.