Dear Supporters,

I am proud to share an important milestone in our journey for victim-centered justice reform. The Vincent Anthony Act now has bipartisan sponsorship in Maryland, with Senator William Folden and Delegate Gary Simmons both formally sponsoring the bill.

This progress is because of you—your signatures, your voices, and your unwavering commitment to justice that does not forget victims once the courtroom doors close. Thank you for standing firm and helping move meaningful legislative change forward.

As promised, this petition has always been a prerequisite to the movement—not a moment. The JUST WHY Movement was built to create lasting reform, and this milestone confirms that our advocacy is being heard in Annapolis, Maryland.

 
What the Vincent Anthony Act Will Do
If passed, the Vincent Anthony Act will restore balance to justice reform by ensuring that victims—especially families of homicide victims—remain at the center of the post-conviction review process, not pushed to the margins.

Key Victim-Centered Protections Include:
🔹 Guaranteed Victim Participation
Victims and survivors will have a meaningful, enforceable role in post-conviction review proceedings, including timely notice and the opportunity to be heard before any sentence modification is considered.

🔹 Respect for Homicide Victims and Their Families
In homicide cases, the Act recognizes that loss is permanent. It ensures that the voices of surviving family members are not minimized, rushed, or treated as procedural formalities.

🔹 Protection of Constitutional Rights (Article 47)
The Act reinforces victims’ constitutional rights to be treated with dignity, respect, and sensitivity throughout all stages of post-conviction review—not just at trial or sentencing.

🔹 Limits on Re-Traumatization
The Vincent Anthony Act seeks to prevent repeated reopening of cases in ways that re-traumatize victims and survivors, ensuring the process does not become an ongoing source of harm.

🔹 Balanced Justice Reform
Reform should not focus solely on the offender. This Act requires courts to weigh:

• The severity of the crime
• The impact on victims and families
• The permanence of loss
• Public safety and community trust
• Justice must be balanced, not one-sided.

 
How You Can Support the Vincent Anthony Act
As we prepare for upcoming hearings on the post-conviction review process, we are calling on supporters to stay engaged.

Call for Testimony
If you are interested in testifying or submitting testimony in support of the Vincent Anthony Act, please contact me directly:

📩 Email: Divine@ByDivineDesign.me

Your lived experience matters. Whether you are a victim, survivor, advocate, or community member, your voice helps ensure justice reform remains victim-centered, constitutional, and humane.

Thank you for continuing to stand with us, to share this petition, and to demand a justice system that honors victims with dignity and respect—especially in homicide cases where the stakes could not be higher.

With gratitude and resolve,
Divina Fisher
Founder, The JUST WHY Movement
Mother of Vincent Anthony Fisher III

👉 Please continue to sign and share this petition. The work continues—and together, we are changing the system.