Last week marked two big milestones for this documentary.

June 25th was our four year anniversary of the first time we met Jessica!  And in that time since, we’ve gathered nearly 300 hours of footage of Jessica, her family and her legal team’s tireless efforts to bring greater awareness to the reforms that are desperately needed to combat the domestic violence epidemic in our country.

Now, we need your help to get this story out there.  We’ve just launched a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter!  You can donate a little, or a lot, to help us start editing the film, and receive some exciting rewards in return!

Please check out our campaign at the link below, where you’ll be able to see a special message from the directors and some exclusive footage from our documentary.  We’d be so grateful if you would donate whatever you can, pass the link around to friends, Tweet about it, post the link to your own Facebook wall, Like our page on Facebook, and subscribe to our e-newsletter!

Thanks a million for all of the support, and more exciting updates to come very soon.

Gratefully,
April, Katia and Nina

Jessica, her brother JJ and attorney Carrie Bettinger-Lopez, along with advocates who have worked on her case, at Cardozo School of Law in NYC

With the launch of our new website, we’ve had the opportunity to reflect on our busy 2011. There were so many exciting developments in Jessica’s lawsuit, resulting in one of the biggest milestones yet, of course—a decision in Jessica’s favor from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on her case.

Yet among the many accomplishments was the indescribable loss of Jessica’s mother and stalwart supporter, Tina Rivera, last spring. Tina’s energy, passion and unending determination will always be remembered, and her spirit is constantly with us. We are at a loss to describe the sadness of her passing. She will be incredibly missed by her family, friends, and fellow advocates.

Here’s a look back at 2011:

January 2011 – Jessica meets with the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women


Jessica is part of site visit by Rashida Manjoo, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, who was on an official visit to investigate the status of violence against women in the United States. Manjoo visits other U.S. cities and regions specifically exploring women in incarceration, violence against women in the military, and violence against women who experience discrimination, including Native American, immigrant, and African American women. Manjoo mentions Jessica’s case in her final report, published later in the year.

July 2011 – We produce an advocacy video on Jessica’s case


With the upcoming decision from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in mind, Jessica’s co-counsel—the ACLU, the Columbia Human Rights Institute, and the University of Miami Human Rights Institute—ask us to produce a video about Jessica’s case to help with advocacy efforts surrounding the decision. We fly to Colorado to film an interview with Jessica for this purpose. A link to the video is available here.

August 17, 2011 – Jessica receives a decision in her favor from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights


The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights releases a decision in Jessica’s case in Jessica’s favor, ending Jessica’s long, 12-year legal battle to find justice for the death of her three daughters and her quest to make sure that her tragedy does not happen to other women and children.  The groundbreaking decision from the Inter-American Commission declares that the United States violated her human rights by failing to adopt reasonable measures to protect her and her daughters from her abusive husband’s acts of violence, when the police should have known that they were at risk of being harmed.  The Commission recommends that the United States provide redress to Jessica, and in addition implement reforms to federal and state laws and policies that proactively address and prevent gender-based violence, including domestic violence. Read the Commission’s press release on the decision here.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo acknowledges the decision and urges the U.S. to strengthen implementation of laws, policies, and programs to protect women and children.

September 2011 – Jessica meets with advocates in Washington, D.C.


Because the Commission’s decision is not binding and could be largely ignored by the United States, Jessica, her brother Jay, and her attorney Carrie Bettinger-Lopez meet with advocates in Washington. D.C., to discuss ways that they can use the decision from the Commission to further advocacy efforts across different cities and states in the U.S.

November 2011 – Jessica wins a human rights award


Jessica is awarded the U.S. Human Rights Fund first Human Rights Hero Award at the Fund’s 2011 Human Rights & Racial Justice Convening. It’s a special night where Jessica is acknowledged for her 12 years of tireless advocacy.

November 17, 2011 – Jessica celebrates with family, friends, and fellow-advocates


Jessica, her brother Jay, her attorneys, fellow-advocates, friends, and many generations of law school students who have worked on her case gather in New York at Columbia Law school to celebrate the decision from the Inter-American Commission and acknowledge Jessica’s long and courageous journey in a fun night filled with reminiscing, hugs, and laughter.

Jessica and Carrie at the Columbia Law School event in her honor

Jessica with Columbia Professor Jeffrey Fagan, an expert witness in Jessica's case

Jessica with filmmakers April Hayes and Katia Maguire, at the Columbia Law School event in her honor

While the film is still in production, we want to begin to interact with more of you, to share stories, photos, and footage from what we’ve shot so far, to update you on the latest news involving the pressing issues in this film, and to hear from you—your own stories and experiences, and your take on Jessica’s story and lawsuit.

Jessica represents millions of women, children, and men in this country and beyond its borders, who are touched by the epidemic of domestic abuse and violence against women in their daily lives. Even in the wake of her own immeasurable personal tragedy, Jessica has fought for 12 long years to raise awareness on these issues, to hold law enforcement and government officials accountable to their mandate of protecting all of us from these crimes, and to educate the public that freedom from domestic violence is our human right.

We hope that our documentary will continue the dialogue about these issues, and be a tool for this community working every day to reform policy and practice on violence against women in the U.S. and throughout the world.

We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to get in touch with us any time at info AT jessicagonzalesvsunitedstates DOT com

Thanks to all of you for being interested in Jessica’s story! We look forward to getting to know you all.

-April Hayes and Katia Maguire