LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentuckians approved amending the state constitution on Tuesday to add a series of rights for people who are victims of an alleged or convicted crime.
With 83% of precincts reporting, 63.5% of voters in the general election had cast ballots in favor of the "Marsy's Law" ballot measure.
The proposal will enshrine the rights into the constitution, including the right to receive "timely notice" of all court proceedings and to be heard in cases involving a plea, release or sentencing.
Among other things, it also would require that victims or their families be considered when bail is set.
Kentuckians approved the constitutional amendment in 2018, but the state Supreme Court later ruled that the language on the ballot wasn't detailed enough. The state legislature voted earlier this year to put the question back in front of voters.
“Today is truly a landmark day for Kentucky crime victims,” said Emily Bonistall Postel, the outreach director for Marsy’s Law for Kentucky. “Amid a year of much uncertainty, voters sent a clear and powerful message: Kentuckians whose lives are impacted by crime deserve our support and to have their rights protected in our constitution."
The effort is part of a broader national campaign started by businessman Henry T. Nicholas III after his sister, Marsy Nicholas, was killed by an ex-boyfriend in 1983. The Marsy's Law website says voters in at least 10 states have ratified versions of the initiative.
The Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Marsy's Law for All Foundation was the sole funder for the Kentucky ballot plan, spending $2.09 million, according to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
Supporters contend the change to the state constitution will provide new protections for victims, while giving them a greater voice in the legal process.
Opponents argue that many of those new rights already exist in the state's Crime Victims Bill of Rights, and note that adding new administrative requirements could slow down an already overwhelmed court system.
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