Matthew Hebb, State Director for Marsy's Law Mississippi spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club's March 30 meeting. Marsy's Law is the name for a proposed amendment to the Mississippi Constitution that would ensure that crime victims' rights are protected. The goal behind the push for Marsy’s Law in Mississippi, a Constitutional Amendment, is to put specific rights into the State Constitution for crime victims. Right now, there are protections in there for those accused and convicted of perpetrating crimes but not for crime victims. The law, which has been enacted in 27 states is named after Marsalee Ann Nicholas who was killed by her former boyfriend in California in 1983. Subsequent to her murder, the family was dismayed at the lack of rights the victims of crimes had. As a result, a law has been enacted to protect the rights of victims.
The Marsy’s Law initiative began in California and was led and sponsored by Marsy’s brother, Dr. Henry T. Nicholas III. When it passed in November 2008, Proposition 9, The California Victims’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy’s Law, became the strongest and most comprehensive Constitutional victims’ rights laws in the U.S. and put California at the forefront of the national victims’ rights movement. Since its passage in California in 2008, the movement has spread throughout the United States. the proposed amendment has received broad support throughout the state, but the legislature has been unable to muster the 2/3rds majority in both the House and Senate to adopt it. That effort continues.
We thank Hebb for his presentation and for his efforts to get the victim's rights amendment adopted in Mississippi. He is shown during his presentation in the following photo.
