Editor’s note: This Letter to the Editor is from Arminda Von Holten. The case will come before Honorable Judge Trish Senneff on Tuesday, April 19, at 9:00 a.m. The Courthouse opens at 8:30.
Family and friends,
We are trying to find personal legal representation this weekend, because according to our limited understanding and Google searches, we believe our [family’s] and our niece’s (they’re including her in this [plea] “deal”) victims rights have been very violated.
Again, we have been notified of nothing [about the trial] but have people trying hard to help us figure out when the trial will be. The minor victim wants to tell the Judge in person what she told [State’s Attorney] Terry Costello on the phone, “I want this to go to trial.” We have also contacted different news sources, but because of the limited notice and miniscule exposure, they probably won’t pick up the story.
Therefore, we feel like we need to be seen, before we are heard. We’ve always been careful not to post anything, because we didn’t want to jeopardize the case in Whiteside County, but we have nothing to lose now and don’t want it tried here, anyway. This has become bigger than just our two cases.
Whiteside (Judge, Prosecutor, and Defense) is silencing victims–we are not the only ones. All that to say, we will be meeting on Monday[, April 18,] at 1:00 p.m. in Morrison, on the NE corner of Cherry Street and [IL Route] 30, with as many people, especially children, as we can get. We need posters with messages such as “Children have rights, too,” “No plea deal,” “We want justice,” “Money shouldn’t buy freedom,” “Stop silencing victims,” and whatever other short slogans you can think of. If nothing else, the victim cousins will feel supported; we’ll exercise our rights; we’ll go out trying!
Also, [Mr. Costello] shouldn’t be surprised….When Chad [victim’s father] talked to him earlier in the week, he told [Costello], I would try something like this, if [Costello] cowered to a minimal deal.
Hopefully, the press will get wind and give some exposure too, which is the main goal to spread the word and stop the injustice in Whiteside County. We are humbly asking you to spread the word too! Invite your friends and family–the more the better!
Last night’s Good Friday[, April 15,] service took on an even deeper meaning….We know the last time our daughter was assaulted was Good Friday 2018, and here we were on Good Friday 2022–hurt again by people we trusted.