Awards Banquet Thank You

Crime Victims United (MARSY’S LAW) UPDATE!!!

IMPORTANT PROP 9 (MARSY’S LAW) UPDATE!!!   Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal of the State of California in the Third Appellate District, Arthur G. Scotland has ruled that a Yolo County judge that banned a victim’s mother from his courtroom must explain his actions. Crime Victims United Advisory Board member Bilenda Harris-Ritter filed the appeal on behalf of the victim’s mother. She was banned from the courtroom during the trial of the murderer of her son. The National Crime Victims Law Institute asked Crime Victims United Executive Board Member Nina Salarno Ashford to file an amicus curiae brief in support of the victim. Citing the victim’s rights under Proposition 9 (Mary’s Law), Ms. Salarno Ashford filed the brief with the Third Appellate District Court.  The presiding judge agreed, and now Yolo County Judge Warriner will have to explain his actions. “This is a great victory for victims.  Precedence has now been set for the state of California and if other victims run into this problem, we have a case to refer to rather than waiting for appeals” said Crime Victims United Executive Board Member Nina Salarno Ashford.  Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig commented, “This is a big decision for victims.”

Car Wash In support of POMC, San Gabriel Valley Chapter

MARSYS LAW: Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008

Uncultivated Rabbits — Poetry

Take Back the Night by Susan Diep
I am taking back the night
And I am taking back the right… to be in this world
To be free!
Free from oppression…
The oppression of your words, your fist, your eyes, your hate
I am nomadic this time, leaving you and all your destructiveness in the dust
Trust, I am a different person today than I was yesterday
And three days ago, I would’ve let you beat me down but out…
I am not going
I stand tall with my fist held high, my chest proudly out, I am fighting back
Because surviving is my right
Because that light is my life
And there will be no raining on my parade… I am above that
For today, and for the rest of my life, I am liberated… FREE
Consider me a feather in the wind because in the darkness of the night,
I CHOOSE TO WIN

10:18 by Natina Kihara
Hey there, Mr. Lurking-Around-Suspiciously,
I see you there eyeing me, you smile at me
so viciously. It’s ten-eighteen shouldn’t you be
in bed asleep or watching TV? But no,
you’re out here lurking, being a jerk and
trying to feed off my fear – well listen here:
So this is our first meeting and you don’t know me but
this here is my street and I belong here
so you don’t scare me
’cause you haven’t seen what’s in my past.
I’m built to last and looking to what’s ahead of me.
Your shifty eyes aren’t a stress to me;
your presence doesn’t impress me;
fear can’t get the best of me.
Maybe my eyes are wide but my head’s high,
watch me walk by successfully.

My Heart is Over You by Eddy M. Gana Jr.
It is heart over matter. It does not matter how physically strong you are because my heart is the strongest muscle in my body. Follow the leader, so I follow my heart. Into the dark or into the light, my heart leads the way. My heart is not afraid, but rather the opposite, my heart is brave. I’m brave at heart. I have a brave heart. No half-heartedness, I put my whole heart into this. This, may help explain why I have a stronger heart than you. You, who had beaten my heart so much that it no longer beats anymore. You, who scolded and yelled at my heart so much that I am not a kid at heart anymore. You, who made my heart grow weary and tired that it can’t “skip” a beat when it sees you anymore. You threw my heart away, threw it out the door. But now, my heart is back home and stronger than ever. My heart pumps iron everyday and gets bigger and bigger. My heart is so big that the Tin Man would be jealous. My heart is so big that Cupid could’ve shot a billion arrows through it…blind-folded. My heart, oh my heart. Like a police officer, my life is hard on the beat, but like a drum line with no flat lines, my heart still marches hard to the beat of the drum. Rub a dub, rub a dub, Rubba da da da dub da dub. Like drums, clashed. Smashed. Our smashed hearts clashed, but I survived the hits. My heart had reached out to you. But, that was then, that was before. So now, no more, my sore heart soars over this beach and shore. For sure, my heart is over you.