Marsy's Law for Mississippi issued the following statement.
For the second year in a row, victims’ rights legislation has been blocked from going to the Senate floor for a vote. Senate Constitution Committee chairman Chris Johnson (R-Hattiesburg) has once again helped the bill to die in his committee.
Senate
Concurrent Resolution 526, more commonly known as “Marsy’s Law” was
introduced by Senator Jeremy England (R-Vancleave) in an effort to
ensure that Mississippi’s crime victims are afforded rights equal to the
convicted and accused. The Bill would have permanently strengthened
rights for crime victims and made them enforceable in court.
Despite
over 300 endorsements statewide, including those of law enforcement,
elected officials from both parties, religious leaders, and victims’
advocates - and statewide polling showing that nearly 80 percent of
Mississippi voters support this measure - Johnson prevented the
legislation from making its way to the ballot.
“This
is a punch to the gut for survivors of crime and their families,” said
Lucinda Wade-Robinson, whose son Zachary was murdered in Jackson in
2014. “We have been deprived of the chance to vote on an essential
update to our constitution by a politician. I feel confident that
Johnson’s constituents will remember this next time his name is on the
ballot.”
###
Marsy’s
Law is named after Marsalee (Marsy) Ann Nicholas, who was stalked and
killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. A week after her murder, Marsy’s
mother was confronted by her daughter’s murderer in a grocery store.
Having received no notification from the judicial system, the family was
unaware that he had been released on bail mere days after the murder.
Marsy’s family, and others, have faced pain and suffering since the
courts and law enforcement are not obligated to keep them informed.
While
criminals have more than 20 individual rights spelled out in the U.S.
Constitution, the surviving family members of murder victims have none.
Marsy’s Law for All seeks to amend the Mississippi constitution to
ensure that crime victims have the same co-equal rights as the accused
and convicted.
9 comments:
The supporters of Marsy’s Law need to raise some capital and get a good lobbyist to spread that cheddar if they want to get anywhere with the corrupt Leeches in lurking the murky halls of the State Capitol.
1:25 My sentiments exactly....sounds a lot like bribery/kick backs. Oh wait, its the legislature, they can do that as long as the briber calls him/herself a lobbyist.
link does go straight to bill. Victims already have rights in MS. What is the difference between Marcy's law and the MS crime victim's bill of rights? Victims and anyone else can sign up for a notification when a person is released from prison or jail. Victims are witnesses. Bill undermines presumption of innocence. People think that victims can "press charges" or "drop charges." Only the state can do that.
https://www.aclupa.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/aclu-pa_marsys_law_-_top_five_reasons_to_vote_no.pdf
In other states' Marcy's Law, victims can refuse discovery requests...unconstitutional. Does it say that in the MS bill?
Victims in Mississippi already have more rights that the accused which is in direct violation of the United States Constitution. The Constitution was meant to protect the rights of the accused, not the victims. That's because all your morons out there already presume everyone guilty until proven innocent.
There's a reason this legislation dies every year. It suffers the same fate as sheriff radar. Errybody's fuh it in front of the camera. Errybody's agin it where it matters. District Attorneys hate it.
@3:12
You are exactly right. Imagine being a State Employee who is accused of a crime outside of the office. You are immediately fired and lose your job and benefits, including the legal fund you paid into. Good luck defending yourself!
One nice thing is that if you successfully win, you can reapply for another job with the state! Sadly, you wont get your old job back. Just being arrested is enough cause to terminate your employment.
Why place the blame on the Senate? Was there not a House bill?
3:12
I m familiar and have worked on Marsy s Law, it’s even up the rights of the victim to what the accused already have. It doesn’t give the accused anymore rights .
9:14
Rep Shanks brought the ML Bill up last year and passed it off the floor to the Senate, Sen Johnson killed it. Rep Powell did the same the previous year and the Senate killed it. It was their turn, we weren’t gonna do all the work for them again.
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