2017 Victims’ Rights Partnership Award
New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
Cyrus ‘Rus’ Rilee
Claudia J. Bayliff
2017 Victims’ Rights Partnership Award
NCVLI’s Victims’ Rights Partnership Award recognizes the collaborative efforts of individuals and/or organizations who have devoted their time to advancing crime victims’ rights.
In June 2016, the New Hampshire Supreme Court issued a ruling in a high profile rape-murder case that shocked the victim’s family, stunned the victims’ rights community, and undermined New Hampshire’s rape shield law. With only five days to respond, the victim’s family, the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, local New Hampshire civil attorney Cyrus (Rus) Rilee, and national expert Claudia J. Bayliff mobilized to challenge the court’s order.
Drafting a national amici curiae brief was Claudia Bayliff. Claudia Bayliff is an attorney and educator with 29 years of experience working on issues related to sexual assault. For 17 years, she created educational materials about sexual violence and educated judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, victim advocates, medical personnel and other professionals across the country about these issues. Joining Claudia was an amazing team including Steven F. Hyde, Esq. Coakley & Hyde, PLLC; Kelly Dixon, Esq.; Navneet Jaswal, Attorney at Law; Caren M. Sempel, JD, M. Antonia E. Bird, Law Student; and Renae Vanwijk, Law Student.