COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohioans passed Marsy’s Law voting in favor of protecting violent crime victims by ensuring they have the same equal rights as the accused.
It was legislation carried in during the 134th General Assembly by State Representative Andrea White (R-Kettering), and 83% of Ohioans overwhelmingly supported this in Nov. 2017.
House Bill 343, which codifies Marsy’s Law, is now in effect here in Ohio.
Lawmakers, prosecutors and crime victim survivors gathered at the Statehouse. Their goal is to spread the word about victim rights.
House Bill 343 will give violent crime victims a chance to keep their name and address off of public records. These individuals also have a chance to be heard when a court is considering whether to seal the record of conviction.
“I would say that Marsy’s law has been tremendous because I can go to sleep at night knowing that while my personal experience will not change and cannot be rewritten, the future crime victims will now have access to better resources, access to a victim’s rights toolkit,” said Sophia Fifner, a sexual assault victim. “Access to privacy and access to knowledge and information that will truly protect them and help guide them if and when they seek justice.”
Under Marsy’s Law, violent crime victims can opt-in and be notified when their aggressor is released. Now, the Supreme Court must create a victim’s request form, to ensure every criminal justice system official is aware of the rights each victim asserts. The new procedures under this law will also let victims be notified and heard during criminal justice procedures. There will be guidance for criminal justice officials as well on mandatory restitution proceedings. Also, procedures for attorneys enforcing victims’ rights at the trial and appeals court levels.
Marsy’s Law has specific requirements within the criminal justice system to make sure victim rights are being protected.
Some include:
- The Supreme Court must create a Victim’s Rights Request Form.
- New procedures to ensure victims’ rights to be notified, present, and heard during criminal justice proceedings are protected.
“Many people here have been fighting for this for many years,” State Rep. Andrea White, (R-Kettering) said. “And so today, we want to let all the victims know that we hear you, we see you, and we want to do what we can to ensure that you not only know what your rights are under Ohio law and Ohio Constitution, but you have the mechanisms that you can use to enforce those rights, to get support for those rights.”
Marsy’s Law started in California, for Marsalee Nicholas, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Marsy’s family stopped at a market on their way home from her funeral just a week after she was murdered. The family was confronted by their daughter’s murderer and had received no notification that he was released on bail.
