By Roberta Gubbins
Legal News
The Michigan Supreme Court Learning Center's Crime Victim's Rights exhibit, a new educational display honoring crime victims and victim advocates, officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Learning Center, located in the Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing on April 13th.
"I welcome you all to the Learning Center," said Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young, Jr. opening the ceremony. Speaking of the contributions made by former state representative and senator, William Van Regenmorter, he said, "Senator Van Regenmorter moved Michigan to the front in the recognition of Victim's Rights."
"In the 1960's our U.S. Supreme Court began to emphasize the rights of the defendant under the Bill of Rights. Those rights of rose to the forefront leaving victims, "the very people who had been most harmed in our system" ignored.
"In 1982, a Federal taskforce noted "the victims of crime have been transformed into a group oppressively burdened by a system designed to protect them. From that task force came the Victim's Rights movement and Van Regenmorter who moved to make victim's rights statutory under our criminal justice system."
In 1985, then Representative Van Regenmorter authored the Crime Victim's Rights Act of 1985, which created protections for victims in state law, including notification, protection, participation and restitution. The law he created served as a model for other states and the nation. To ensure fundamental rights for victims, he wrote a Constitutional Amendment that was approved by the voters on November 18, 1988. It became Article 1, Section 24 of the State Constitution on December 24, 1988.
"Senator Van Regenmorter is known as 'the father of crime victims' rights,' and with good reason," said PAAM President Ionia County Prosecutor Ron Schafer. "Thanks to him, crime victims in Michigan have a right to restitution, to confer with the prosecution, to address the court at sentencing, to be notified about court proceedings, and more. The Crime Victim's Rights bill created the crime victim's rights fund, to support compensation and services for those who have been preyed upon by criminals. This Learning Center exhibit tells the story of crime victims' rights in Michigan."
Attorney General Bill Schuette recognized the efforts of Van Regenmorter stating that he never wavered from his commitment to Victim's Rights. Van Regenmorter received a standing ovation from the audience. Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, co-chair of the Senate Victim's Rights caucus in addition to other duties, stressed that it is important to remember "that not long ago victims didn't have these rights." Michael Gadola, Governor's Legal Counsel commented on the extensive contributions made by Van Regenmorter.
The four-part interactive exhibit examines the role of crime victims in the criminal justice system. Viewers can test their knowledge by completing a victim impact statement, putting stages in a criminal case in the right order, and playing a "board game" that illustrates the work of victim advocates.
The Crime Victim Services Commission, a division of the Michigan Department of Community Health, funded the exhibit through a grant to the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, the exhibit's sponsor.
Published: Thu, Apr 21, 2011
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