Press Release: Marsy’s Law for South Dakota Announces Kick-Off Event for National Crime Victims’ Week

Pat Powers

Marsy’s Law for South Dakota Announces Kick-Off Event
for National Crime Victims’ Week

Marsy’s Law for South Dakota is sponsoring the lighting of the Falls of the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls to recognize National Crime Victims’ Rights Week from April 10-16.  A kick-off event will be held at the picnic shelter at Falls Park starting at 5:30pm on Sunday, April 10.  The shelter is located on the west side of the Falls at 131 E. Falls Park Drive. Food and beverages will be provided and the public is invited to attend.

The Falls will be lit a different color each night of the week to show support for different classes of crime victims.  The schedule is as follows:

Sunday, April 10 Purple for Domestic Violence Victims
Monday, April 11 Purple for Domestic Violence Victims
Tuesday, April 12 Teal for Sexual Assault Victims
Wednesday, April 13 Teal for Sexual Assault Victims
Thursday, April 14 Yellow for Property Crime Victims
Friday, April 15 Blue for Child Abuse Victims
Saturday, April 16 Blue for Child Abuse Victims

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is an annual commemoration that promotes victims’ rights and services.  It was established by Ronald Reagan in 1982 and promoted annually by the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime in partnership with the National Center for Victims of Crime.  This year’s theme – Serving Victims. Building Trust. Restoring Hope. – underscores the importance of establishing trust with victims.

Marsy’s Law for South Dakota is an organization composed of citizens and victim rights advocates in South Dakota who are leading the effort to pass Initiated Constitutional Amendment S in the November General Election.  Amendment S is a Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights that would guarantee equal rights to crime victims.

In addition to sponsoring the lighting of the Falls, Marsy’s Law for South Dakota will be releasing the first videos in a series featuring South Dakotans who support Marsy’s Law.  The videos primarily feature South Dakota crime victims and new videos will be released throughout the campaign until the November General Election.

“This is an important week for crime victims in South Dakota and we are working hard to give them the equal rights they deserve.” said Jason Glodt, State Director for Marsy’s Law for South Dakota.  “We also thank all of the other groups across the state that are organizing events for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.”

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13 thoughts on “Press Release: Marsy’s Law for South Dakota Announces Kick-Off Event for National Crime Victims’ Week”

    1. Yes, but it is very weak and it isn’t enforceable. Victims in SD have no standing or remedy to have their rights enforced if they are violated.

      1. Too bad Daugaard and his minions gutted the criminal justice system three years ago. More murders, more armed robberies and more victims. Now, we fix it with more regulations–full employment for the political class?

  2. Here is the thing….Marsy’s Law is a shiny and brand new fire truck desperately in search of a fire. The wail of its siren is thunderous, the appeal of its glittering lights commands our acknowledgement, and we all concede that a fire truck is needed to put out fires…..but we simply don’t have any fires. For that matter, until a bag of out-of-state cash showed up, we didn’t have any smoke. We have adequate laws on the books. We have prosecutors and law enforcement working with victims (when the victim chooses to work with law enforcement and prosecutors). We have judges who have to instruct victims to not contact the defendant in violation of the defendant’s bond conditions (Marsy’s Law won’t fix that one). The thing is this, the apparatus in South Dakota isn’t the best (always room for improvement), but implementing Marsy’s Law isn’t going to fix it. Want to help a victim? Get them a safe place to go to. Get them counseling (financial, spiritual, mental). Financial aid and assistance is way more valuable to the victim than whether or not they get a speed dial call from the Court or SA office. Yet, out-of-state money talks, nay, it Shouts! Out-of-state money is flashy! Out-of-state money wants us to consider burning down what we have so it can find a use.

    1. South Dakota has some of the weakest crime victim rights laws in the nation and I hear stories from victims nearly every day about how existing laws are either inadequate or not being followed. One example is that South Dakota’s current definition of victim does not even include victims of human trafficking – so they have no victim rights. Thirty-two other states have constitutional rights for crime victims and South Dakota is one of only five remaining states that does not have an automated notification system for victims. We need to strengthen and expand existing laws to give victims of the rights they deserve. The out-of-state money that funds our campaign Is from the philanthropical effort of a murder victim’s brother. The only special interest in our campaign are crime victims.

  3. Biggest winner of all: Stores that actually carry purple, teal, yellow and blue. Where the crap am I going to find 4XLT in teal by next Tuesday??? 😉

  4. Glodt – You’ve come through for me before on t-shirts… Whatcha got? 😀

    1. Hi Gideon – I won’t be able to get you a shirt by Tuesday but I will later this summer when I stop at you deli for some of the best food in South Dakota!

  5. This seems technical and not for public voting. Why hasn’t the legislature passed this if it’s such a no brainier? Im thinking there must be some red herrings lurking in there somewhere. I’ll have to do some research and see what other states have done here.

    1. Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have questions. You can also learn more at http://www.marsyslaw.us

      Arizona has had very similar language in their state constitution since 1990. Every provision in Marsy’s Law is already law in either SD, another state or in federal law.

    1. 32 states have passed constitutional rights for crime victims, 15 of which are very similar to the model language in Marsy’s Law. Marsy’s Law model language has passed in California (2008) and Illinois (2014). Arizona has had very similar language in its state constitution since 1990. Here is a good link to an interactive map showing which states have passed constitutional rights for victims… http://marsyslaw.us/resources/map/

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