Month: June 2013

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Accusing U. Campus Civil Rights DED Sexual Assault Directive Press Release Sexual Assault Sexual Harassment

PR: Accusing U. Launches Radio Campaign to Protect Free Speech on Campus

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Accusing U. Launches Radio Campaign to Protect Free Speech on Campus

WASHINGTON / June 14, 2013 – The non-profit Accusing U. is launching a nationwide radio campaign designed to highlight how the recent Obama Administration’s sexual harassment mandate represents an unprecedented threat to free speech. The campaign will consist of radio interviews featuring Christina Hoff Sommers, well-known author, columnist, and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

On May 9, the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice unveiled a new campus policy that classifies speech as a form of sexual harassment, enlarges its scope to include any speech that is deemed “unwelcome,” and eliminates the reasonable person standard.

The policy applies to all faculty members and over 21 million undergraduate and graduate students at colleges receiving Department of Education funding.

The federal decision has proven to be controversial. Last week the Women’s Committee of the American Association of University Professors released a letter expressing concerns about the policy: http://www.saveservices.org/falsely-accused/sex-assault/accusing-u/complaints/

To date, over 85 editorials have been written opposing the decision: http://www.saveservices.org/camp/ded-directive/ded-editorials/ Columnists believe the policy will effectively ban discussion on controversial topics such as AIDS prevention and gay rights, and may require removal of sex-themed classical works from English literature courses.

“The federal policy represents a radical assault on the First Amendment rights of faculty and students alike,” explains Accusing U. spokesman Mike Thompson. “And what will happen if a student makes an unwelcome request for a date – will that be construed as sexual harassment?”

The May 9 policy comes on top of a divisive 2011 Dept. of Education mandate requiring colleges to use the weakest preponderance-of-evidence standard in handling allegations of sexual assault. The standard makes false allegations more likely, harming the credibility of victims.

Accusing U. — www.accusingu.org — is a project of Stop Abusive and Violent Environments, a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault.

Categories
Press Release Prosecutorial Misconduct

PR: Most Americans Doubt Fairness of Criminal Justice System, Reveals Center for Prosecutor Integrity

PRESS RELEASE

Most Americans Doubt Fairness of Criminal Justice System, Reveals Center for Prosecutor Integrity

WASHINGTON / June 11, 2013 – A public opinion survey reveals a substantial majority of persons harbor doubts about the effectiveness of the American criminal justice system. The nationwide survey reveals a crisis of confidence in our nation’s legal system, says the non-profit Center for Prosecutor Integrity.

The presumption of innocence is a bedrock principle of the American legal system. But two-thirds (66.8%) of the survey respondents believe the presumption of innocence is becoming lost in our nation’s legal system.

Equal treatment is promised by the 14h Amendment to the Constitution. But three-quarters (74.8%) believe our legal system often does not follow the rule of ‘equal treatment under the law.’

Prosecutors occupy a central role in the criminal justice system, but over two-fifths (42.8%) say prosecutor misconduct is widespread. Strong majorities of persons say most cases of prosecutor misconduct are kept hidden from the public (71.4%), and similar numbers say prosecutors who commit misconduct are almost never punished (73.5%).

A previous survey found one in 10 persons reported they had been falsely accused of domestic violence, sexual assault, or child abuse: http://www.saveservices.org/falsely-accused/survey/ False allegations undermine the rule of law, squander limited criminal justice resources, and weaken the credibility of victims, CPI believes.

“These stunning findings show the American criminal justice system has come off its moorings,” notes CPI spokesman Phillip Holman. “Lawmakers must grapple with the fact that over-criminalization and lack of prosecutor accountability have weakened the very legitimacy of our legal system in the eyes of many.”

The telephone interviews were conducted June 3-5, 2013. An average of 993 persons answered each of the survey questions. The sampling frame comes from voter registration records in 47 states; as such, the survey is not fully representative. More information about the survey findings and methods can be seen here: http://www.saveservices.org/prosecutors/survey/

The Center for Prosecutor Integrity, a project of S.A.V.E., is working to preserve the presumption of innocence, assure equal treatment under law, and bring an end to wrongful convictions: www.prosecutorintegrity.org

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Categories
False Allegations Press Release

PR: False Words Ruin Lives: SAVE Conference to Focus on Plight of Wrongly Accused

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

False Words Ruin Lives: SAVE Conference to Focus on Plight of Wrongly Accused
WASHINGTON / June 6 – In support of False Allegations Awareness Month, Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) is holding its annual conference June 21-22 in Washington DC. Persons who have been falsely accused, advocates, lawmakers, attorneys, reporters, and others are invited to attend.

Two national surveys reveal that one in 10 persons have been falsely accused of child abuse, domestic violence or sexual assault: http://www.saveservices.org/falsely-accused/survey/. False allegations cause devastation not just to the accused, but to their families as well, SAVE notes.

One high-profile example is Atlanta Falcons linebacker Brian Banks. As a 17-year-old high school football star, his journey took a five-year detour after he was wrongly accused and convicted of rape, even with no DNA, no witnesses, and no evidence. After his release from prison, Banks’ accuser admitted on video that she had lied. Exonerated, he now campaigns for reform. https://www.facebook.com/groups/protectionformen/#!/TheBrianBanksStory?fref=ts

In another case, Gordon Smith of Delaware was falsely accused by his ex-wife 13 times, resulting in 8 arrests. The harassment by Smith’s ex-wife did not end until the GPS monitor that police made him wear proved that he had not been in the area where she cut herself and laid in the street screaming he had attacked her. http://www.avoiceformen.com/mens-rights/activism/tiffany-marie-smith-behind-bars/

“People are devastated by false allegations of abuse,” says S.A.V.E. spokesperson Sheryle Hutter.  “They often lose their jobs, their homes, and access to their children. Even if they’re innocent, their reputations have been ruined.”

Information on the SAVE conference presenters and schedule can be seen here: http://www.saveservices.org/dvlp/annual-conference-2013/ Persons can register for theconference here: http://celebratingourprogress.eventbrite.com/

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to partner violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org.