Treating crime victims with dignity and respect

To the Editor:

Ensuring victims of crime are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve is a priority at the Oneida County District Attorney’s office. We know the criminal justice process can be confusing and even traumatic for crime victims. That’s why we are fortunate to live in a state that provides strong rights for victims through an amendment to our Constitution known as Marsy’s Law.

Marsy’s Law provides over a dozen rights to crime victims including the right to be informed, the right to be present, the right to be heard during judicial proceedings, the right to privacy and the right to confer with the prosecutor.

To help grow awareness on Marsy’s Law and the support services available to crime victims in our area, we recently partnered with the Marsy’s Law organization on a silhouette art display at the Oneida County Courthouse. 

Each silhouette represented the crime victims that walk among us daily and included information on Marsy’s Law rights and some of the services provided to crime victims by my office and the Tri-County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

We appreciate everyone who took time to view the display. For those of you unable to attend, I encourage you to learn more about Marsy’s Law and to support efforts that ensure victims’ rights are upheld.

Jillian Pfeifer

Oneida County District Attorney