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SEPTEMBER 19, 2019, JACKSON, MISS.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 28, 2019

CONTACT:

Jennifer Fennell, CoreMessage

(850) 222-3767, marsyslawfl@coremessage.com

RALEIGH, NC. (August 27, 2019) – Legislation to implement Marsy’s Law, the constitutional amendment to strengthen victims’ rights approved by voters last year, has passed through the N.C. House  and is one step closer to becoming law. Lawmakers, advocates and criminal justice professionals have worked relentlessly to ensure victims receive the rights they so strongly deserve and to ensure that the bill gives guidance to the agencies tasked with enforcing Marsy’s Law. The decision now lies with the Senate on whether to pass the bill before the constitutional amendment goes into effect on August 31.

David Voth has been the Executive Director of Crime Victim Services (CVS) since 1985 in West Central Ohio. CVS has 40 staff serving in programs of Court Appointed Special Advocates, Child Advocacy Center, Relationship and Sexual Violence, Human Trafficking, Court Advocacy, Elder Victim Ministry, Guardianship, Special Victims Unit for underserved victims, and Violence Prevention in schools and college campuses.  CVS has counselors and an attorney on staff. David authored the book, “Quality Victim Advocacy: A Field Guide” and received the United States Congress Victim Rights Caucus Outstanding Victim Advocate Award. He helped pass the Ohio Marsy’s Rights Constitutional Amendment in 2017 by an 83% margin. We recently interviewed him about how Marsy's Law helps victims and survivors of sexual assault and the need for victims rights.

When Marsy’s Law – or State Question 794 – passed in November 2018, Oklahoma’s voters created a revised and strengthened version of the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights to be added to the Oklahoma Constitution. In May of this year, the Oklahoma Legislature passed HB 1102, a law that aligns state statute with the new Constitutional protections approved by Oklahoma voters. That bill goes into effect on Nov. 1, 2019.