In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), Florida’s historic old capitol building will be lit in purple by Marsy’s Law for Florida. The purple lights, which will be featured April 11-13, serve to remind Florida’s leaders that the fight to enact Marsy’s Law for Florida is far from over.
Last November, Florida voters spoke and voted for Amendment 6, known as Marsy’s Law for Florida, which provides victims with clear, enforceable rights and protections equal to the ones those accused or convicted of a crime have. While Marsy’s Law for Florida is now part of the Florida Constitution, there is still work to be done to ensure the protection of victims.
“Too often, victims were pushed aside and forgotten, because they didn’t have clear enforceable rights to lean against when they needed them the most— Marsy’s Law for Florida changed that, and laid the groundwork for victims’ rights in Florida,” said Ann Rowe, sexual assault survivor. “However, our work is far from over. Now it’s time for Florida’s leaders to work on implementing Marsy’s Law for Florida in a way that is consistent across the state.”
At the start of Florida’s Legislative Session, Senator Lauren Book filed SB 1426, an implementing bill for Marsy’s Law for Florida that addresses some of the questions and concerns raised by justice system stakeholders. The bill would ensure Marsy’s Law for Florida is implemented in a consistent and uniform fashion in every part of the state.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week raises awareness of victims’ rights for one week during April. This year, NCVRW’s theme is “Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future.” By celebrating NCVRW, Marsy’s Law for Florida honors the progress made in Florida for victims’ rights but acknowledges the long road forward.
About Marsy’s Law
Marsy’s Law is named after Marsalee “Marsy” Nicholas of California who was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. Only one week after her death, Marsy’s mother and brother, Henry T. Nicholas, walked into a grocery store where they were confronted by the accused murderer. The family, who had just come from a visit to Marsy’s grave, was unaware that the accused had been released on bail. In an effort to honor his sister, Dr. Nicholas, co-founder of Broadcom Corporation, has made it his mission to give victims and their families constitutional protections and equal rights. He formed Marsy’s Law for All in 2009, providing expertise and resources to victims’ rights organizations nationwide.
