There’s a temporary display at the Manitowoc County Courthouse that shows how victims of different crimes can get help.
The Red Silhouette Art Display sits at the bottom staircase of the courthouse and has cutout figures of people with signs taped to them with a QR code that provides information about Marsy’s Law and places where victims can get service.
Marsy’s Law is a set of state laws that allows victims of crimes to have rights, including the right to privacy, the right to notice, and the right to be present.
Each silhouette also reminds us that there are victims among us and that we need to see them and be ready to help them.
State Law Director Nela Kalpic tells Seehafer News that the statements on the silhouettes are written in plain language so everyone can understand.
“We can’t talk about rights unless we talk about access to those rights,” she explained. “Then we need to consider the barriers that may be there for victims to access them and one of those barriers is language.”
This display not only partners with the Manitowoc County District Attorney’s Office but also with InCourage, a place in Manitowoc County to help victims of domestic and sexual assault.
Executive Director Sara Meier says Kalpic asked them to be involved with this display and be around to talk about victims’ rights.
Meier echoes Kalpic’s statement, saying, “You know, at InCourage, too, we want to make sure that victims are aware of the rights that they have in their criminal justice system and in general. It’s one of the things in advocacy that we do.”
District Attorney Jackie LeBre says this law has also been beneficial to victims who are a part of the judicial process.
She says before Marsy’s Law was passed, there were some basic rules on victims’ rights, but now constitutional right brings the victims’ rights up from just statutory to about equal to defendant rights, which is important.
“We can’t have the victims lost in this process,” she exclaimed. “And a lot of times, these victims, this is the only time they are in the court process, and it’s very traumatic for them, and it’s very scary. So, we want to make sure, like it’s been mentioned, that they have notice of everything, that they understand everything.”
The silhouette display will stay up at the courthouse until Friday, March 1st.
Kalpic also tells us that the QR codes are specifically for Wisconsin-based help and can be changed when the display goes to different states.
