Ohio’s top law enforcement official will serve as co-chair for a campaign to pass Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment for crime victims on the statewide ballot this fall.
Attorney General Mike DeWine said some of the features of what’s being called “Marsy’s Law” are already in Ohio’s constitution. But DeWine said it will give crime victims more power.
“It will enable a victim to enforce these rights, to go into court to say, ‘You’re not following the Constitution,’” DeWine explained.
Among other things, “Marsy’s Law” would require victims be notified when their perpetrator is released from police custody and will require victims be allowed to attend court and parole hearings. It's part of a national movement named after a California woman who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983.
The proposal is supported by prosecutors, but defense attorneys have questioned whether it might strip away the rights of suspects to get fair and impartial treatment during the judicial process.
