How a First of Its Kind Settlement Account is Empowering Survivors of Sexual Assault

For survivors of sexual assault, a prolonged legal battle is often a source of retraumatization, and even after winning a settlement, the barrage of new decisions that need to be made over how to handle the money can be overwhelming.

Fortunately, Milestone Consulting created a first-of-its-kind national qualified settlement fund solely for survivors of sexual assault. By structuring payments over a fixed period of time, The Settlement Account empowers survivors to explore their options and tend to their post-trial needs.

An Effort to Abolish Court Fees Grows in California

In February, the L.A.-based Youth Justice Coalition successfully lobbied the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to vote to eliminate most court-related fines and fees, including probation. Three other counties in California’s Bay Area—San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa—have passed similar measures since 2018. But L.A. courts have continued to collect probation fees and other court-related debts.

“We’ve been trying to collect money from people who don’t have it, and they often end up in jail, or harassed or shaken down. We’re trying to fund our governments on the backs of communities of color, and in a post-COVID world, that is just going to be impossible. I shudder to think of the more draconian collection practices to come.”

The Military Failed Vanessa Guillen and Others. It Must Do Better.

Right before her death, Vanessa Guillén told her family that she had been sexually harassed by superiors. She didn’t report it, fearing retribution. Reporting sexual harassment and sexual assaults in the military goes up the chain of command—particularly useless if the perpetrator is a superior.

Since Guillén’s murder was confirmed, current and past service members who experienced sexual assault and harassment have shared their own stories with the viral #IAmVanessaGuillen.

June Medical Services: A Precarious Victory

After yesterday’s fractured opinion, legislatures will continue passing ever-more restrictive laws, and states will press hard to get them back in front of this unsettled Supreme Court.

June Medical Services presented the Court with a second bite at the apple. Louisiana couldn’t get Roberts to bite this time. But there’s a lot of the apples in the tree, and it only takes one.

Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to 23 Years for Rape and Assault; Feminists and Survivors Rejoice

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced on Wednesday to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. the two primary accusers in the case, were present in the New York courtroom. As the two primary accusers in the case exited the room, attendees in the audience applauded them. This celebratory atmosphere extended beyond the courtroom to the online sphere.