Finding yourself as the victim of a crime can cause an individual a lot of stress. Worrying about what will happen with the accused, keeping up with a fast-paced court system and trying to recover from the incident is difficult to do separately, let alone when all the stress builds together.
Last evening, Copper Shores Victim Outreach invited Houghton County Prosecutor Dan Helmer to help start a conversation with the community.
“So to know that there are rights and there’s ways to protect yourself after you’ve been victimized, that’s like a critical component of this whole meeting here today,” said Virginia Lambert, program director for Copper Shores Victim Support.
Ayla LaRoe, victim advocate for Copper Shores Victim Support, emphasized the importance of community engagement.
“Ultimately, we want to be able to create a discussion within our community. That way people can feel comfortable getting involved. It can be a really big feeling to be involved with the justice system. So just kind of bridging that gap of the discomfort when we’re talking about crime,” LaRoe said.
Helmer outlined the procedures his office follows to protect victim rights.
“We have procedures in place on any case that involves a crime victim. That includes letters going out, paperwork going out, notifications of hearings,” Helmer said. “There’s times I have to stand up and say, your honor, no, that’s not gonna work. I need to notify my victim they have the right to be here.”
Michigan codified victims’ rights when the state passed the Crime Victims’ Rights Act in 1985. The law guarantees victims are treated fairly by the court, provides reasonable protection from the accused, ensures the right to know when court proceedings occur, allows victims to confer with prosecution and submit statements to the court. The law also provides victims with the right to obtain all information on sentencing and potential release.
Copper Shores Victim Outreach provides a variety of ways to support victims. Learn more about bringing victim rights conversations to your community online.
