Shop at Target, support VFJ
We’re participating in the Target Circle program. You can vote for Victims for Justice and help direct Target’s giving to benefit our organization. For full program details and restrictions, visit target.com/circle
FashionPACT sales help support VFJ
A big thank you to FashionPACT! This new secondhand clothing shop in downtown Anchorage is already sending donations to Victims for Justice!
Every item sold at FashionPACT generates a donation to a local Alaska charity. The buyer gets to choose which local nonprofit gets paid. Be sure to visit the store, located at 575 Ingra Street, and select VFJ as your preferred charity.
It’s open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Happy shopping.
Arraignments: An Overview
Ever wonder what the term arraignment means? Here’s what you need to know.
Within twenty-four hours following a person’s arrest they must appear before a judge to receive a formal reading of the criminal charges they face.
Generally speaking, the purpose of the initial arraignment is to a inform the person of the pending charges and to provide a copy of any charging documents filed by the prosecutor.
Once the person is charged by the prosecutor the person is referred to as the defendant.
Another purpose of an arraignment is to inform the defendant of his or her right to have a lawyer and of the right to have an attorney appointed without cost if he or she can’t afford to hire one.
At arraignment, a judge considers whether to release the defendant on bail pending further proceedings in the case. After a defendant has been indicted by the grand jury, the person is again arraigned. The purpose of the post indictment arraignment is essentially the same as the initial arraignment that occurs shortly after the charges are filed but with some important differences.
At this stage the judge will inform the defendant of the grand jury’s decision and will call upon him or her to enter a plea. Most defendants will enter a “not guilty” plea, which triggers the need for a trial.
Source: Office of Victims’ Rights
Movement on VOCA Fix anticipated in Senate
Victim service agencies and victim advocates across the country are urging the Senate to pass VOCA Fix legislation before Congress recesses in August, and latest indications are that lawmakers may have reached a deal to finally move the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk.
The Crime Victims Fund, established by the Victims of Crime Act or VOCA, supports victim services but the size of the fund has dropped substantially in recent years. The fund’s depletion jeopardizes the future of domestic violence shelters, organizations like VFJ, STAR, AWAIC, and others in Alaska and across the nation that assist victims with needs such as lost wages, health care costs and other compensation.
The Crime Victims Fund consists of non-taxpayer money stemming from fees and penalties paid by those convicted of federal crimes. As criminal convictions by the Justice Department have declined due to a rise in out-of-court settlements, non-prosecution agreements and deferred prosecutions, the size of the Crime Victims Fund has plummeted. That’s because money generated by out-of-court settlements is deposited into the U.S. Treasury, not the Crime Victims Fund. As a result, grants for victim services have been cut by two-thirds compared to three years ago, and victim service providers are facing major financial threats.
Legislation to fix the situation cleared the House of Representatives months ago but has stalled in the Senate. The VOCA Fix bill doesn’t change how federal tax money is spent. It provides a technical fix by directing additional non-taxpayers dollars from criminal monetary penalties into the fund.
According to Roll Call, Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate last Wednesday reached an agreement to take up the bill. The article quotes sources as saying a vote is expected next week.
“I want us to be guided by hope”
Victims for Justice held its annual Homicide Memorial Ceremony on July 10. About 100 people attended the in-person event at Hostetler Park in downtown Anchorage. Hundreds more watched the Facebook livestream and the video remains available to view on our Facebook page.
Thank you to all who turned out, tuned in online, or spoke at the ceremony. Our guest speakers included VFJ board member and Anchorage Police Capt. Sean Case who described the Homicide Memorial as a place that “not only serves as a remembrance of victims of homicide, but it also serves as hope for the future.”
“Whether you are in law enforcement, whether you’re an advocate, whether you’re a friend, a family or a loved one, we all share something in common. We all have a common value, and that’s that we value human life,” Case said.
“When I look at us all gathered here today, we think how we are different or we can think about what we have in common. I don’t want us to be distracted by fear, or anger or even shame. I want us to be guided by hope. Today we want to further the healing process by letting go of those emotions that hold us back and be guided by hope so that we can work toward an emotionally bright future,” said Case.
Rev. Undra Parker of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church also spoke about the healing power of hope, offering an anecdote. As part of a construction project at his house, Rev. Parker needed to plant new grass. For weeks the pastor said he looked at bare soil where he had planted seeds.
“I saw no grass. But I had hope because someone told me that the grass would grow,” he said.
Every day, the pastor would watch and wait.
“Sooner or later I went out and I saw sprouts of green grass growing, and it’s given me hope. In time hope brings about stability and strength. Nothing can take that away from you. Part of that hope is remembering your loved ones, holding them close to your heart and then having hope in the justice system,” Pastor Parker said.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick McKay read a portion of the 29 new names added to the Memorial this year. In his opening remarks, McKay touched on the concept of justice for families of homicide victims.
“My job as a prosecutor is to seek justice, and that justice isn’t for the state. That justice is for you,” McKay said.
He acknowledged that the criminal justice system is far from perfect. Too often, grieving loved ones will not achieve the appropriate level of justice they deserve, McKay said.
“But I can assure you that we all working our hardest and doing our best to deliver the best sense of justice that we can for your family.”
Ingrid Cumberlidge with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said she felt humbled to attend the ceremony and saw it as a unique opportunity to hold space for people navigating the grief process. Cumberlidge read aloud a collection of names of Alaskans lost to homicide over the past three years, as did Rep. Geran Tarr of Anchorage.
“In the work that I do, I have a passion for supporting families and ending violence in our state. And please know that my door is always open if you ever want to talk about your ideas or ways that we can work together to help your family,” Tarr said.
Maria Coleman and her daughter Tresia, tribal leaders from Native Village of Eklutna, spoke at the ceremony and offered healing remarks.
“I always say we are looking for a strong community because the only way to get through violence is to lean on your brothers and sisters, family and friends, and to rise up as a community. That’s why Victims for Justice is so important to me. And I want to thank you guys for coming out and supporting them,” said Tresia Coleman.
Thank you, Tresia, and our other invited guests, for your kind words and support.
We also wish to thank Legacy Funeral Homes and Alaska USA Federal Credit Union for their financial support of the Homicide Memorial Ceremony. It would be impossible to cover the costs of engraving, printing, flowers, audio and online services and other expenses associated with the ceremony without the generous donations of these businesses and other individual contributors. We also give a huge shout out to Peter Briggs of Corvus Design. Briggs is a landscape architect who redesigned the memorial park in 2017 and has shepherded the addition of new names to the wall year after year. Thank you, Peter.
If you would like to donate toward next year’s memorial ceremony, we would be most grateful. To do so, please visit our website or send a check to our office at 1507 W. Fireweed Lane, Suite 101, Anchorage, AK 99503. We are also a Pick.Click.Give. organization should you choose to donate a portion of your Permanent Fund Dividend to VFJ through that program.
For a list names added to the Memorial Site this year, please visit our website.
If you missed Channel 2’s coverage of the Homicide Memorial Ceremony, check out the stories by reporters Lauren Maxwell here and Jay Kim here.
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