COLUMBUS – An Ohio constitutional amendment granting crime victims more involvement in the legal process will be on the fall statewide ballot, according to supporters.
Ohio election officials say the victims’ rights campaign collected 371,749 valid signatures from 54 counties, Dr. Henry Nicholas, founder of Marsy’s Law for All, said.
Ohio law requires constitutional amendments submit 305,591 signatures from at least 44 counties to qualify for the general election ballot.
If approved by voters, Marsy’s Law for Ohio would guarantee victims of crime the right to notification of all proceedings as well as be guaranteed the right to be heard at every step of the process, Nicholas said. Victims would have the right to have input on all plea deals for offenders as well as the right to restitution resulting from the financial impact of the crime, he said.
The Marsy’s Law movement began in 1983, when Marsy Nicholas was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend in California. Only a week after her murder, Nicholas and his mother saw the accused murderer of their sister and daughter at a grocery store, unaware that he had been released on bail.