At Issue & In Focus

National Crime Victims Week and Victim Rights Week

The Attorney General’s office is commemorating National Crime Victims Week and Victim Rights Week April 10, 2011 through April 16, 2011. Our office is committed to advancing the rights of victims. We serve and support victims and witnesses in a variety of ways, including advocacy, financial and resource assistance, and achieving policies that positively impact victims lives.

Staff at the Attorney General’s Office assist victims in understanding their rights as a crime victim, determining what expenses may be eligible for compensation, and assessing what other resources are available to assist them. Additionally, we often assign advocates to work with victims throughout investigations and prosecutions.

Using funds obtained from perpetrators, the Attorney General’s Office can often provide financial assistance to eligible victims of violent crime or their families. This assistance may be used for mental health counseling, other medical care, funeral and burial costs, and other expenses. Last year, the Office successfully advocated for reforms and updates to the guidelines around victim compensation which has made financial assistance available for a wider range of needs, including crime scene cleanup and security measures such as changing locks on a door.

The Office also supports policies and legislation which support victims, including our proposed Human Trafficking bill and Melissa’s Bill. Additionally, we support this legislation designed to ensure that murder victims families are not re-victimized by the perpetrator while grieving. 

If you or a loved one has been the victim of violent crime, please contact us for further assistance at (617) 963-2160, or learn more online.

Staff from the Attorney General’s office will attend and participate in the 2011 Massachusetts Victim Rights Event Tuesday, April 12th, entitled: Shaping the Future Honoring the Past: Seeking Healing Through Justice. This annual event is open to the public and is attended by hundreds of crime victims, survivors, criminal justice and victim services professionals, legislators and agency leaders from across the Commonwealth. To register for the 2011 Victim Rights Event, please visit the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) website at www.mass.gov/mova or call MOVA at 617-727-5200.

Japan Disaster Relief: Tips for Giving Wisely

In the wake of the devastating earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan and its aftermath, the Attorney General’s Office encourages residents to consider donating to charitable organizations that can help those who have been impacted by this devastating natural disaster.  Relief efforts are currently underway and are expected to continue through the upcoming months.  In light of this ongoing effort, the AGO warns potential donors to protect themselves from fundraising scams claiming to benefit those affected by last week's catastrophe.

To best assure that your donation will be used for its intended purpose, the AGO offers the following suggestions:

• Check to see if the charity is registered and filing with the Attorney General’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division. Registration and filing information can be obtained online at www.mass.gov/ago/charitiesreports or by calling the division at 617-727-2200 x2101.
• Know your charity. Take the time to verify the address, phone number, contact information, and review the website and written material, when possible. If you have any doubts, well established charities with experience in disaster relief are generally a good choice.
• Do not pay by cash. Pay by check, and make it out to the charity (use its full name; don't use initials), not the fundraiser. Never give your credit card number to a fundraiser over the telephone.

All charities and fundraisers operating in Massachusetts are required by law to register with the AGO.  This requirement also applies to businesses that advertise a portion of their sales will go to earthquake relief.  While registration with the AGO does not indicate that the office approves or endorses the organization, it does provide the public with valuable information regarding how long the organization has been in existence, its financial condition and its track record of complying with state registration and filing requirements.

For more tips on giving wisely to disaster relief charities, please visit the Non-Profits & Charities portion of the AGO website.

International Women’s Day

Today marks the 100^th International Women's Day (IWD) – a day on which thousands of events are held around the globe to celebrate women’s achievements and also shed light on the issues that continue to impact the health, safety and economic sufficiency of women.

The day reminds us that we have much work to do to ensure that women and children are guaranteed their most fundamental human rights. This year the Attorney General’s Office is working to raise awareness and take action on the issue of human trafficking - one of the most egregious human rights violations in the world – and an issue that unfortunately affects women in every nation.  

Human trafficking is a heinous crime of exploitation that involves forcing people to work for others for profit, whether through traditional types of labor or sexual exploitation and is considered the second largest and single fastest growing illegal industry in the world.  Experts estimate that 27 million people are trafficked internationally and domestically, bringing in $32 billion annually.

While many consider human trafficking to mainly involve women from other countries being shipped abroad to act as sex slaves, it is important to realize that human trafficking also occurs within our borders, not only in the U.S., but also right here in Massachusetts.   

This is why Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office recently filed legislation that would, for the first time, establish human trafficking for sexual servitude or labor as a crime in Massachusetts, currently one of only five states in the country without human trafficking laws.  The bill, An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People, gives law enforcement the necessary tools to investigate and prosecute the crimes and attempts to address all three aspects of human trafficking – supply, demand, and victim services.   Specifically, the bill creates two new crimes, the crime of trafficking of persons for sexual servitude and the crime of trafficking of persons for forced labor.  The bill also creates an inter-agency task force and amends penalties regarding existing statues to address the demand side of human trafficking.

White Ribbon Day 2011

On March 3, 2011, men around the world will participate in the fourth anniversary of White Ribbon Day, a day where men and boys can take part in the solution to ending violence against women.  White Ribbon Day is an opportunity to change societal attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate violence against women.  The event promotes safety and respect in all relationships and situations and helps to build a network of resounding voices that will support and advance the initiatives and efforts of Jane Doe Inc. and its member organizations.

The White Ribbon Day Massachusetts 2011 rally, hosted by the Men’s Initiative for Jane Doe Inc., will take place on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the State House, This year’s campaign is co-chaired by Congressman Bill Delahunt and Michael Weekes, President/CEO of the Providers’ Council. The centerpiece of the campaign will be local White Ribbon Day Proclamation events held throughout the Commonweath from March 4th to 11th.

The Attorney General’s Office is dedicated to protecting victims of violent crimes in the Commonwealth. The office provides referrals and services to domestic violence victims through their Victims Witness Advocacy and Compensation Divisions. In 2010, the Victim Compensation Division provided a total of $742,144.44 to 317 victims of domestic violence and their families. Please visit our website to learn more about the resources and tools we can provide victims.

Love Shouldn’t Hurt

As we honor the 16^th anniversary of Teen Dating Awareness Month, it has become apparent that it is more important than ever to organize and get the word out that love shouldn’t hurt. 

According to the National Resource Center for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, one in 10 teens have been physically harmed by their boyfriend or girlfriend and twenty-five percent of sixth grade students (average age of 11 or 12) think it is okay to hit their girlfriend. One in five female college students will be sexually assaulted by the person they are in a romantic relationship with. 

Many teens stay in abusive relationships because they are afraid to speak up. To learn more about organizing a local information group, joining a support group or for information on how to enlist your school in this campaign against violence, visit www.teendvmonth.org.

AG Coakley Announces Legislative Agenda

Attorney General Martha Coakley today announced the filing of nine bills as a part of her legislative agenda. The series of bills seek to better protect public safety, combat fraud and corruption, and address the foreclosure crisis in Massachusetts. The bills include legislation that would establish standards and require banks to engage in loan modifications when they are financially beneficial to the bank before foreclosing on a property.  The AG’s Office also filed comprehensive human trafficking legislation that would establish human trafficking for sexual servitude or labor as a crime in Massachusetts, one of only five states in the country without human trafficking laws. Additionally, the AG’s Office filed comprehensive economic crime legislation designed to give law enforcement the necessary tools to investigate and prosecute sophisticated criminal activities and enterprises in the 21^st century.  Other bills filed relate to drug trafficking in methamphetamine, corporate manslaughter, dissemination of harmful materials to minors, manufactured housing, metals dealing, and the failure to have workers’ compensation insurance.  To see the full press release, click here.

Legal Food Frenzy 2011

Help Fight Hunger in Massachusetts!

Law firms, law schools and legal organizations are encouraged to sign up now to participate in Massachusetts’ second annual “Legal Food Frenzy” sponsored by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in partnership with the legal community.

The Legal Food Frenzy is a benevolent competition within the legal community to raise funds and collect food to benefit food banks and their member agencies, food pantries and shelters during the spring, a traditionally slow time for donations. In these tough financial times, the role of food banks and hunger relief agencies have become even more crucial as more and more Massachusetts residents are seeking help to put food on the table.

Last year’s first annual Legal Food Frenzy was piloted in the Greater Boston area and benefitted the Greater Boston Food Bank. Over 46 law firms, law schools and legal associations participated in the competition in 2010 and collectively raised the equivalent of, in food and funds, 350,000 pounds of food, providing an additional 180,000 meals for hungry families in eastern Massachusetts. 

In 2011, the Legal Food Frenzy will be expanded to benefit all four Massachusetts Food Banks and donations will serve the entire Commonwealth. The competition will be held from March 28, 2011 – April 8, 2011. Learn more.

Brownfields Covenants

Recently, the Attorney General’s Office entered into a Brownfields Covenant Not to Sue Agreement with the Town of Acton.  This agreement protects the Town of Acton from certain liability as it cleans up historic contamination found on a 10-acre farm, in order to preserve it for agricultural use and to develop publicly-available open space. 

Brownfields Covenants, which provide liability protection to those willing to clean up and redevelop contaminated property, are developed through close coordination between the Attorney General’s Office and MassDEP.  Thirty-six Brownfields Covenants have supported commercial and industrial development, housing, open space and other redevelopment projects at sites around the Commonwealth since the program went into effect in 2000.  For more information, visit the Brownfields Covenant Program section of the Attorney General’s website. 

Penny Auction Sites Pose Potential Risks to Consumers

A new trend of websites, called ‘penny auctions’, are on the rise and they are posing new potential risks to consumers looking to find hard-to-believe deals online.  These websites allow consumers to bid on items for a chance to win them for a small fraction of the retail price. 

A review of past winners on a popular penny auction site reveals that one consumer bid on a Razor scooter priced at $49.99 and won it for just four cents; another consumer won an iPod Shuffle valued at $59.99 for just 17 cents; and yet another lucky bidder won a Nintendo DS for $1.24, the original price being $129.99.  However, it is important to remember that these bargains can only be offered because other bidders have bid (at a cost) and won nothing. 

The old rule “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” needs to be heeded whether it be in relation to a brick and mortar store, coupon sales, or online penny auctions.  Every penny auction site has different rules, but in general, bidders must purchase bids for about 60 cents or more and are often required to buy them in initial packages, sometimes paying nearly $50 to begin bidding.  These auctions differ from traditional ones, where normally you pay only when you win a bid and are not required to cover the cost of your losing bids.  Penny auctions require you to pay the full price of your bid, despite whether you win or lose the bid. 

For some things to consider when using penny auction websites, visit the Consumer Connections post by Barbara Anthony, Undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.  It is also a good idea to look for websites that offer a buyer protection plan, which may protect you if something goes wrong with a transaction or if you encounter other problems on the website.

Happy Holidays & A Safe New Year

At Issue and In Focus would like to take this opportunity to extend our wishes for a Happy and Safe Holiday Season and New Year to all of our readers. We will be taking a brief break from blogging and will return after the new year.

As always, please submit any questions, comments and/or suggestions you might have.