DOJ Media Archive
Media Archive Lists
The following lists contain archived media from the DOJ website before January 5th, 2015. The media lists go back to roughly December of 2007 and contain the galleries, news releases, and attorney general opinions.
Attorney General Opinions
Dec 12 2013
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Issues Formal Opinion Concerning Milwaukee County Board Confirmations of County Executive
Apr 30 2013
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Issues Formal Opinion Concerning Whether a Deputy Sheriff May Serve as a County Board Supervisor.
Pages
In the News Archive
Pages
Galleries Archive
2013 Crime Victims' Rights Week Ceremony
2013 Crime Victims' Rights Week Ceremony
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
On April 23, 2013, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and the Wisconsin Crime Victims Council honored three people, who go above and beyond in their support of victims’ rights in Wisconsin, with Champions of Victims’ Rights Awards during the annual Crime Victims’ Rights Week Ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda. The 2013 honorees were:
Jane Benzschawel, Sexual Assault Victim Services (SAVS) Coordinator at CAP Services in Stevens Point; Al Passehl, Owner of Classic Lanes Bowling in Oak Creek; and Jennifer Hastings, Manager of the Fostering Healing and Family Connections Programs at Kids Matter, Inc. in Milwaukee.
In addition to the awards, State Treasurer Kurt Schuller highlighted the more than $2 million in unclaimed property belonging to Wisconsin crime victims. Restitution as ordered by the court is paid by offenders but is sent to the Office of the State Treasurer when victims cannot be located. If you have been a victim of a crime in which restitution was ordered but did not receive full payment, please visit the following link to check the state’s unclaimed property program: www.wismissingmoney.com or call 855-375-CASH (2274).
Denim Day 2013
Denim Day 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
On April 24, 2013, in observance of “Denim Day,” Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen participated in the annual ceremony at the State Capitol hosted by the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA).
“April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and trading office apparel for denim is an excellent way to raise awareness and spark meaningful discussion about an important topic,” Attorney General Van Hollen said.
“Denim Day” began as a response to a sexual assault case in Italy in the 1990s. An 18-year old girl was raped by her married, 45-year-old driving instructor. Although the assailant initially was convicted, the Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction and dismissed the case. The Chief Judge found “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.” Within hours, the women in the Italian Parliament protested the decision by wearing jeans to work. This call to action has motivated others to do the same in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
McKenna Nerone, a Wauwatosa East senior high school student, participated in the 2013 ceremony. For more information about her efforts to highlight Denim Day, see this article.
For more information about Denim Day in Wisconsin, see the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault website www.wcasa.org.
Visit by the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County to State Capitol
Visit by the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County to State Capitol
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
On Tuesday, April 9, 2013, before touring the State Capitol, children from the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, Club leaders, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, agents from the Division of Criminal Investigation and staff from the Office of Crime Victim Services gathered for a visit and photo at the Capitol in support of this year’s “Pinwheel Project: Turning Toward Awareness.” The Project is part of statewide community outreach for Crime Victims’ Rights Week 2013, and it is designed to raise awareness of the impact of violence on children. Through a five-thousand dollar grant, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Crime Victim Services (OCVS) spearheaded the “Pinwheel Project” in more than 50 counties across Wisconsin. As part of the project, victim/witness coordinators statewide each received 100 pinwheels and a yard sign, as well as bookmarks and posters for distribution, to highlight the impact of crime on our state’s most vulnerable, our children. The Project was one of a number of events to recognize Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 21-27, 2013.
Foreclosure Mediation Program News Conference
Foreclosure Mediation Program News Conference
On April 11, 2013, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, Executive Director/Chief Mediator Debra Tuttle from the Metro Milwaukee Foreclosure Mediation Program (MMFMP), Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jeffrey Kremers and Circuit Court Clerk John Barrett gathered with others at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to highlight the new and improved process in place for homeowners facing foreclosure and seeking mediation services. The MMFMP is administered by the Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Courts with funding from the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ). With funding from the DOJ, the MMFMP announced in November 2012 the launch of the Wisconsin Foreclosure Mediation Network.
Under the Joint-State Federal Mortgage Servicing Settlement announced in early 2012 involving the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers, Attorney General Van Hollen allocated $458,550 for the continuation and expansion of the network’s foreclosure mediation services. A renewed memorandum of agreement between the DOJ and Milwaukee County continues support for the MMFMP beginning January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013, and commits additional funds to work on expansion of the program statewide beginning October 1, 2012, through December 31, 2013.
The MMFMP, which began in July of 2009, has previously received more than $500,000 in Department of Justice funding from the Countrywide Financial Corporation lawsuit, as well as funds from the City of Milwaukee. Homeowners may visit www.mediatemilwaukee.com to learn more about mediation eligibility.
Badges for Baseball
Badges for Baseball at the Madison Mallards game Monday, June 4, 2012
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen joined Madison baseball fans at the Madison Mallards game Monday, June 4, 2012, to throw out a ceremonial “first pitch” in support of the Wisconsin Badges for Baseball Program, a partnership through the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. Through Badges for Baseball, children from the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County attended the game versus the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.
Badges for Baseball is a juvenile crime prevention program created by The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice. It pairs police and kids together to play and learn. The program re-shapes the relationship between law enforcement and kids living in communities across the country. More information is available at http://www.ripkenfoundation.org/
