Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, alongside members of the Department of Attorney General, Branch County Prosecutor Zachary Stempien, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor and Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan President Jeffrey Getting, Special Assistant Attorney General Erin House with the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative in Kalamazoo County and House Appropriations chairwoman, state Representative Angela Witwer, announced the launch of Operation Survivor Justice on Wednesday.
The initiative, a partnership between the Michigan Department of Attorney General, local county prosecutors, and the U.S. Marshals Service, is working to locate, apprehend, and return to Michigan fugitive offenders with outstanding sexual assault warrants. The partnership is being funded by a $1 million appropriation from the Legislature, included in the department’s latest budget signed into law this summer.
“Operation Survivor Justice will make a difference,” said Nessel. “It will touch the lives of victims, and those who never become one, because we were able to take this decisive strike, with our new partners in this effort to secure justice for as many sexual survivors as possible.”
Under Operation Survivor Justice, the U.S. Marshals Service will work with the Department of Attorney General and locally elected prosecutors to track down and take into custody criminal defendants across the continental U.S. at a significant cost reduction compared to private extradition services. These operations are funded by a $1 million appropriation from the Michigan Legislature to the Department of Attorney General specifically for the apprehension and extradition of sex-assault fugitives.
"The unfortunate reality is extraditing defendants back to Michigan can be a costly endeavor that many local prosecutor’s offices simply do not have resources for,” said state Representative Angela Witwer. “That’s why we decided to help remove these barriers by increasing financial support from the State, so survivors of sexual assault can begin to heal when perpetrators are finally brought to justice.”
The Department of Attorney General has already this year partnered with the Branch County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service to apprehend and prosecute defendants under the Operation Survivor Justice framework. The Attorney General is now encouraging other county prosecutors across Michigan to join the initiative. Participation does not require local prosecutors to relinquish control of their cases to the Department of Attorney General and enables them to negotiate directly with the U.S. Marshals Service to locate, apprehend, and extradite their eligible offenders.
“The Branch County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office would like to thank the Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Marshals for their assistance and for the launch of Operation Survivor Justice,” said Branch County Prosecutor Zachary Stempien. “This operation has thus far provided for the apprehension and prosecution of multiple alleged criminal sexual conduct cases. Without the assistance of the Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Marshals, the defendants may still be fugitives at large. The Branch County community and victims of each respective case are thankful that numerous governmental unities could come together to seek justice for the alleged crimes.”
“I want to thank the Governor’s office, the Legislature, the Attorney General, and the U.S. Marshals Service,” said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeffrey Getting. “This is a project that will truly make a difference on behalf of victims throughout the State of Michigan. Bringing justice for survivors and accountability and consequence to their perpetrators with the assistance and support of the attorney general is a goal shared by all prosecutors across the state.”
Eligible cases for Operation Survivor Justice include more than 800 defendants currently out on cash bail and believed to be outside the State of Michigan. The charges eligible for extradition under this program are primarily physical contact-based sexual offenses, including Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th degrees, as well as Accosting a Minor for Immoral Purposes. These cases must be ready for trial, with prosecutors prepared to proceed or willing to collaborate with the Department of Attorney General, willing and ready witnesses, and of most importance, a victim wishing to pursue this matter in a court of law.
Operation Survivor Justice is a first-in-the-nation partnership and is currently only operational in Michigan. However, the attorney general and the U.S. Marshals Service hope to set a precedent that could expand these efforts across the nation through similar agreements in other states.
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