The story of Ms. V

A partial letter written to the US prosecuting attorney Mark Karner, the charges, and who Ms. V really is...

The constant theme that keeps coming up in our news is that having a felony on your record doesn't only make getting a job nearly impossible, but, it prevents you from obtaining a student loan and receiving any health insurance or other benefits and aid that those without a felony can receive.  Our prisons are FILLED with non-violent offenders - and the prison industry continues to boom... Here's a GREAT look at why that might be.  With Ms. V's permission - here is only a part of her story....

Portions of the letter to US Prosecutor Mark Karner...
I usually don’t involve myself with legal issues that others face, but I feel that this particular issue warranted, at the very least, a letter to the prosecutor's office and the prosecuting attorney.  Here is the jist of the letter....
* * * * *
As you know, Ms.V is an African-American woman who is a single mother raising a child under the age of one year old. This is also the child of "Richard", a repeat offender that you are very familiar with. What you aren’t familiar with is the history of Ms. V and Richard – and what actually led up to Ms. V being charged.

Ms. V is a woman who overcame her circumstances of growing up in a gang-infested neighborhood, and worked (and continues to work) two jobs in order to buy her very first home. There are MILLIONS of people who had far more advantages in their lives that have not ever done this. The relationship with "Richard" that led to this incident, began over 10 years ago while "Richard" was two years into his nine year prison sentence. Ms. V began visiting him and years of letter writing between the two led to what Ms. V believed was going to be a marriage and a new life for her and Richard upon his release. Richard had even admitted that these promises were lies (and admitted this in front of his own grandmother), and that he had been stringing along and making the same promises to “other females”. Ms. V. is a Christian and very active in her church. Richard had sent her a devotional booklet about marriage and relationships while he was locked up. Later, again in front of his own grandmother, he stated that everything had been a lie and even the devotional booklet he sent to Ms. V was something he had received in prison from some “other female”. 

There are numerous incidences of physical abuse by Richard against Ms. V – and even more incidences of threats of harm and even death. These incidences started when Richard found out that Ms. V was pregnant with his child. This is VERY common in domestic violence cases… abuse often starts when the woman is pregnant. In fact, those things that Richard had said in the presence of his own grandmother were because Richard had taken Ms. V there to try to get his grandmother to talk her into having an abortion. But because of Ms. V's religious beliefs, she could never have done that. Several months into her pregnancy, Ms. V. decided that she was going to try to get away from Richard. She let her house go into foreclosure and in April, when she was four months pregnant, she gave two week’s notice to her boss at a job she had been working at for 10 years, telling her boss that she was going to move out of state to get away from Richard, and so that she could be with her sister and her sister’s kids. She told her supervisor that she had to get away from Richard because he had strangled her, threatened her life numerous times, and was running around with other women. IT WAS MS. V's SUPERVISOR (who is still her supervisor today) who convinced Ms. V. to stay in Rockford because Ms. V had a high-risk pregnancy and had good health insurance through her job. So Ms. V stayed and had her son.. When her newborn son was just a week and a half old, Ms. V stated that while she was holding her baby, Richard “punched me in the face like a man”. To this day, Ms. V continues to suffer severe migraines which she believes is a result of this abuse. When Ms. V would ask Richard why he was treating her this way and doing these things to her – and told him that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”… Richard responded with “you think I’m going to let another man polish you up? The only thing they’d be polishing up is ashes”. PLEASE REMEMBER – Richard is 6’4” and Ms. V is 4’11” !!! Richard is a huge man... which I guess makes him a HUGE ASSHOLE (I didn't put the asshole part in the letter).

I have been working with Ms. V since her indictment. There has not been one time that she hasn’t come in to see me that she hasn’t broken down and cried – and sobbed. Ms. V is terrified that because her choice of men was not good – she will lose everything she worked so hard for – and her son.  Ms. V has admitted to what she had done. But because there isn’t a record of police calls and reports, it’s as if the system just disregards her fear of what Richard would have done to her and her son had she not complied with his request. Again – record or not – this man is nearly TWO FEET taller than her, and pumped a lot of iron in prison. He is MASSIVE. She was a brand new mother with a newborn. Not only does she have all of these confusing hormonal changes that occur post-partum, but she had this violent, towering, man who was abusing her and threatening her.  So many people have been declined employment because of their records. No employer bothers to check to see whether or not the crime was violent or non-violent. If you have a record like this – we can’t hire you. Doesn’t matter what the crime is.

I, as a taxpayer, do not want to pay for Ms. V’s bad choice of men – by housing her in prison or monitoring her at home or on probation, and I don’t want to have to pay for her health insurance or her son’s health insurance, and pay for DCFS to find foster care, because Ms. V made a bad character judgment. Again, she has NO record, no prior criminal history. And should she be charged, here we have another African-American child whose mother is in prison and won’t be there to love him as only a mother can. Ms. V had set her life up to break the cycle she was raised in… then into that life, came a monster – "Richard". Ms. V’s employer provides excellent health care for her, and she has been employed there for TEN years. She worked HARD to get certified and be where she is today.. She is a PRODUCTIVE member of society who will be jobless and homeless should she be found guilty… and that’s IF she makes it through this ordeal mentally intact.

I truly believe that Ms. V would suffer a complete mental breakdown should she plead to, or be convicted of, this crtime. She wants to move out of state to get out of Rockford and begin to put her life together again. Mr. Karner, PLEASE allow her to do this. PLEASE drop these charges against Ms. V and allow her a second chance to be the person she was before Richard was released. Please allow her baby a second chance to stay with his mother, who will surely guide him along the right paths in his life. Who else will do that for this little one? PLEASE pay attention to what Ms. V told you during the proffer, and what you observed. She is a quiet, soft-spoken young woman – no threat to anyone.

PLEASE let me know if there is something else I can do to prevent Ms. V from becoming another prison statistic. PLEASE drop these charges, "prosecutor". Ms. V is not a drug dealer or criminal – she is a contributing member of society and a single mother who needs a second chance. You have all of the evidence and support you need to back up this decision should you find it in your heart to give her another chance – and stop this criminal record from becoming a part of the rest of her life... and the life of her baby boy.

I am enclosing brochures retrieved from the office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan – and other statistical information. Note that the brochure is entitled “It Doesn’t Have To Be Physical To Leave A Mark”.  I understand you asked her if anyone had ever seen any bruising....
* * * * * *
Readers - If you want to show your support to Ms. V, please feel free to reply to this blog. She needs all of our support and our prayers.  PLEASE - don't just say you will pray.  PRAY!  For those of you who know the identity of Ms. V - please don't use her name.  But feel free to talk about the things you are hearing.  Rumor has it that SHE set Richard up - yah, right!  I guarantee you, Ms. V would NOT be in this situation if that had been the case.

* * * * * * *
Also - if any of you know the real names of Ms. V and Richard - then PLEASE write the prosecutor's office immediately.  She has 14 days until her next court date.  You can send the letters to the US Attorney's Office, Attention: Mark Karner, Atty., 308 W. State Street, Suite 300 - Rockford, IL  61101.  OR, you can fax his office at 815.987.4236.  ASK HIM TO DROP all charges and let Ms. V be!  Remember - please be courteous and professional if you decide to write to him. Angry words will only fuel the fire.... thanks!

The federal courthouse is located at 211 S. Court Street. Visit the federal courthouse online at http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/home/