Q & A With a Leader for Victims' Rights

With Paul Cassell

How did you get involved in Crime Victims' Rights?

I have always had a strong interest in criminal law, because criminal law is so important to the proper functioning of our society. Without effective criminal law, people can’t be safe in their homes or when walking the streets. So, when I was in law school, I took all the criminal law courses that I could. And later, after I graduated from law school, I worked in the U.S. Department of Justice, both at “Main Justice” in Washington, D.C. focusing on criminal law issues and later as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia handling federal criminal cases. But I always wanted to be a legal academic, so I ultimately became a law professor the University of Utah. I have been teaching a class on crime victims rights for more than ten years now, and my students tell me that it is one of the most interesting classes in law school.

What prompted you to start working on an amendment to the United States Constitution?

Our Constitution protects the rights for criminal defendants, which is as it should be. But I’ve always thought that it is important to recognize rights for crime victims in our nation’s fundamental charter. I began working on a federal constitutional amendment protecting victims of crime about two decades ago, and have continued working on it ever since.

You’ve interacted with a lot of victims over the years. Is there one victim who stands out in your mind who keeps you motivated to keep working so hard?

I’ve worked on many cases, but the child victims always have a special place in my heart. It is especially disturbing for me when I see child victim cases that take years and years to reach a resolution. That kind of time may be bearable for adults. But for a young child, every continued court hearing can lead to the passage of time that seems like a lifetime. It would be great if we could give victims all over the country — especially child victims — the right to a speedy trial, so that they are not forced to wait, sometimes seemingly forever, for their cases to go to trial.

How do you feel allowing victims representation will affect their rights moving forward?

Here in Utah, we have had a constitutional amendment protecting crime victims rights since 1994. And it’s made a big difference to the way that crime victims are treated in my home state. But rights without remedies are almost worse than no rights all. Here in Utah, we have struggled to provide legal representation for victims of crime. Most crime victims do not understand how the criminal justice process operates, so it can be hard for them to assert their rights without a lawyer. We need to find a way to expand legal services for crimes victims and make sure that the rights of crime victims are respected throughout the process.

What is, in your opinion, one important step supporters can take to help victims’ rights in their state?

If I could wave a magic wand and make things happen, I would like to see a Marsy's Law in place in all 50 states tomorrow! It won’t happen immediately. But it is great to see a few more states each year enacting a Marsy's Law to provide comprehensive and enforceable rights for crime victims. I feel like we are reaching a “tipping point” in this country, where enforceable crime victims rights are in place in so many states that they will just seem second nature — part of the natural architecture of our criminal justice system.

Thank A Volunteer

Julie Sanders Allison

I am Julie Sanders Allison. I would first like to say thank you for allowing me to share my story. I hope that is it will somehow further the passing of Marsy's Law. We desperately need this law in my home state of Georgia.

On May 12, 1986, my father disappeared without a trace from East Point, Georgia while working as a long haul trucker. We had very few leads or evidence. The case was barely investigated and soon grew cold. I was just 13 years old. He was 39. His case was eventually pushed to the back burner until I began searching for answers.

Most everyone goes through life living in a bubble. No one ever thinks that they will be a victim. The court system is not only scary, but it is intimidating. The last thing a victim needs after an unthinkable tragedy, is to be re-victimized by a system that let them slip through the cracks. If I had to encourage anyone to support Marsy's Law, it would be by saying our voices matter. Our loved ones matter. This is why we need Marsy's Law for Georgia.

Meet Your Marsy's Law Team

Kathleen Wrigley

What made you interested in working with Marsy's Law For North Dakota?

I come from a long line of law enforcement, but my first real introduction to the criminal justice system was when my brother, a 21-year-old rookie Philadelphia Police Officer, was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1991. I’ve spent most of my adult professional life advocating for victims. The culmination of that experience and my personal journey with my brother’s murder heightened my interest in this statewide victims’ rights effort: Marsy's Law. When I was presented with the idea of Chairing Marsy's Law for North Dakota, I was immediately intrigued and started the vetting process.

Is there any experience you can/would be comfortable sharing about how Marsy's Law could’ve/has affected you personally?

From the start, I’ve been heartened by the level of support (publicly & privately) that my friends in law enforcement have committed. Some of the most trusted law enforcement in the state sat down with our committee to help craft the language so that it best suits our state and the statute on the books. Since law enforcement is most often the first step in the criminal justice process, their support and opinion and courage mattered immensely. Also, I have heard too many victims and their families tell us their stories of how they fell through the cracks of the system and felt muted by the process. One rape victim’s mother gave this example, she said: “It’s as if someone told me to make a cake, without any of the ingredients or a recipe.”

Tell us something fun we don’t know about you!

I love fitness and running. I teach group fitness classes. I’ve run 10 full marathons—all with my brother’s name on my race shirt—& fell in the 2005 Fargo Marathon at mile one! I had to pick myself up and keep running—just 25.2 miles to go! My friends gave me the nickname: Speedbump. I also ran the Boston Marathon last year (2015) in a tutu with the names of every fallen police officer from Philadelphia and North Dakota. In. A. Tutu.💙 Speedbump Wrigley runs for cops. In a tutu.

If you could explain why you personally think Marsy's Law is needed in North Dakota, what would you say?

I would tell your readers the story of the little four-year-old Internet pornography victim, whose family emotionally prepared this child and themselves for the start of the trial, after many continuances without notice to the victim’s family. After spending thousands of dollars, emotional energy, and changes to their schedules to be in the courtroom for the trial, the defense attorney asked for another continuance, simply because he said he was not ready. The Judge granted a continuance without ever considering the child victim or her family.

I would tell you about the young man who was shot and killed at a wedding reception. His family tried in vain to get information on the upcoming court appearances and or hearings for the accused defendant. This family has been frustrated and saddened by the lack of information and how they’ve been treated by the state’s attorney. I will tell you about the rape victim who was unaware of a change in venue for the trial of the accused, or the plea agreement offered by the state’s attorney.