7/25/2019 Wrigley Marsy's Law Statement
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Kathleen Wrigley: North Dakota Crime Victims Deserve Equal
Rights
Amanda Godfread 9:07 AM
FORIMMEDIATERELEASEJune23,2016
Formoreinformation,contact:AmandaGodfread701.222.8721
KathleenWrigley:NorthDakotaCrimeVictimsDeserveEqualRights
BISMARCK,N.D.TodayMarsysLawforNorthDakotaChairwomanKathleenWrigleyissuedthefollowingstatementinresponsetothepressconferenceheldbytheNorthDakotaStatesAttorneysAssociationandNorthDakotaVictimsAssistanceAssociationannouncingtheiroppositiontoMarsysLawforNorthDakota.
TodayafewprosecutorsandvictimsadvocatesareshowingtheircallousdisregardforequalrightsforcrimevictimsinNorthDakota.InsteadthesegroupsareendorsingthecomplacencyofthestatusquowherecrimevictimsinNorthDakotaareoutrightignoredbythecriminaljusticesystemmakingthemtofeelvictimizedalloveragain.Theseprosecutorsandvictimadvocatesaretellingvoterstodaythatoffendersrightsaremoreimportantthanthosetheyvictimize.NorthDakotacrimevictimsdeserveequalrightsandthatswhymorethanmorethan34,000citizenshavealreadycomeoutinsupportofMarsysLawforNorthDakota.IwouldaskallNorthDakotavoters,advocatesandvictimsthatsupportequalrightstojoinusindoingwhatsrightfor
crimevictimsinourstate,Wrigleysaid.
Fromvictims:
Inadditiontothebroadandgrowingcoalitionofsupportforvictimsrights,severalvictimshavebravelyspokenoutabouttheirexperiencesbeingshutoutbyourexistingsysteminNorthDakota.
Asacrimevictimsfamilymember,PamPerlebergofFargosaid,MybrotherwasmurderedataweddingdanceinNewRockfordlastyear.Throughoutthecourtprocess,wehavefeltlikeoutsiders,becausewewerecluelessastowhatwasgoingon.Callshavenotbeenreturnedandwevebeenmadetofeellikewereburdeningpeoplebyevenaskingforinformationasifwe
havenostakeinthesituation,whatsoever.
Nooneeverplanstobecomeavictimofcrime,certainlynotan8-ora4-year-old.Butwhensomeonefindsthemselvesinthatposition,likeus,theyquicklyrealizetheirlimitedandsometimesnon-existentrights,saidJessicaArmstrongofMinot,whosesisterwasmurderedin2007.Weasfamilymemberstheonestrulyaffectedbythemurder-wereoutsidetheentireprocess.
Therewasnohandbooktonavigatethesystemwewereonourown.Dontletanyonefoolyou,oursystemhasholes,butitcanbemadebetterwithstrongervictimsrights.IurgeeveryonetothoughtfullyconsiderMarsysLawforNorthDakota.
FormoreinformationaboutstrengtheningvictimsrightsinNorthDakota,visit:
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