Kirkersville killings cited by Marsy’s Law backers
The slaying of three people in Kirkersville last month is one reason why Ohio needs Marsy’s Law, Darla Scaffide said Thursday.
Her friend was one of two women — along with the village’s police chief — killed by her friend’s ex-boyfriend at a nursing home. The killer had a history of violence but had been released early from jail weeks before the shootings.
“He was in jail for beating her again, but the judge didn’t even give (her) the chance to speak at his hearing when he was released,” Scaffide said. “As a matter of fact, she had no idea that he was going to be let out. I find this both inexcusable and unacceptable, and that’s why I’m here today.”
A proposed amendment to Ohio’s constitution would provide increased protections to crime victims, and supporters submitted more than half a million signatures to Ohio’s secretary of state’s office on Thursday, hoping to place the issue before voters in November.
Ohio’s proposal, inspired by California’s Marsy’s Law, which was named for a woman slain by her ex-boyfriend there in 1983, would require increased notification of victims about legal proceedings and opportunities for them to weigh in on plea agreements and seek financial restitution for losses caused by criminal acts.
The secretary of state’s office will direct county elections boards to verify the signatures. If supporters fall short of the 305,000-plus required to get the proposal on the ballot, they will have 10 days to collect additional signatures.
“Today, we make history,” said Cathy Harper Lee, executive director of the Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center. “This fall, Ohio voters are going to have an opportunity to join other states from around the country enshrining equal rights for crime victims in Ohio’s constitution.”
One other issue is set to appear on the November ballot; it deals with drug prices. Groups circulating petitions for other issues have until July 5 to submit signatures for review.
No organized opposition to the Marsy’s Law amendment has emerged. More than 140 elected officials, advocacy groups and others are publicly supporting the effort, including Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien.
Comparable ballot efforts have been approved in a handful of other states, including North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana.
Rights spelled out in the proposed Ohio amendment include timely notice of criminal proceedings, opportunities to attend and be heard as part of those proceedings, and reasonable notice of the release or escape of perpetrators. The language would take the place of existing provisions in the state constitution that supporters say don’t go far enough to ensure that victims’ rights are protected.
Marsy Nicholas’ family members reportedly ran into her former boyfriend in a grocery store a week after her slaying, unaware that he had been released on bail.
“Today is a big day for crime victims and their families in Ohio,” said Marsy Nicholas’ brother, Henry. “More than half a million Ohioans have signed their names to ensure all voters will have the opportunity to pass Marsy’s Law in November and give crime victims guaranteed constitutional rights equal to the accused and convicted.”
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