4-26-13 victims rights week

The theme of this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “New Challenges. New Solutions.”    Fond du lac County District Attorney Eric Toney says the week long observance honors the evolution of the criminal justice system from treating victims like bystanders to keeping them informed and able to be heard as their cases proceed through the court process.  "I think its important to remember that when we're moving cases along in the court system that victims are heard as far as how they have been impacted by the crime and what they would like to see happen,"  Toney said.  Toney says Wisconsin is considered a leader in the victim’s rights movement and are legal mandates passed as a constitutional amendment in 1993.  Toney says In addition to keeping crime victims informed , the victim witness coordinator often provides moral support in the courtroom.  As part of the observances this week in Fond du Lac, a candlelight vigil was held outside the city county government center to honor crime victims.