Marsy’s Law For Nevada Calls for Governor Sisolak To Pause Commutations And Respect Crime Victims’ Rights
Marsy’s Law For Nevada Calls for Governor Sisolak To Pause Commutations And Respect Crime Victims’ Rights
LAS VEGAS – Marsy’s Law for Nevada crime victims’ rights advocates call for Governor Steve Sisolak, Attorney General Aaron Ford, and the Nevada Supreme Court, members of the Nevada Board of Pardons, to remember the victims. In anticipation of the Nevada Board of Pardons December 20th meeting, Marsy’s Law For Nevada spokesperson, Jack Stansbery, responds to Governor Sisolak’s last-minute agenda item to commute the death sentence of every prisoner currently on death row, to life without parole.
“The agenda item was posted on December 14th. Four business days before the Board of Pardons scheduled meeting. Our concern is that victims’ family members were not given “reasonable notice” to attend this hearing. If these family members were in fact notified, will they be allowed to participate? And if so, how?”
Stansbery continues, “Ultimately, this is a serious issue that deserves serious debate by numerous interested parties, including the legislature, and led by crime victims. The timing of this doesn’t allow for constitutional rights to be protected or a meaningful debate to happen. We hope that Governor Sisolak pauses his 11th hour attempt to overturn these sentences while he upholds the constitutional rights of crime victims.”
Background
Over 61% of Nevada voters in 2018 chose to give crime victims and their families fair and equitable constitutional rights. Article I § 8a includes the rights:
(g) To reasonable notice of all public proceedings, including delinquency proceedings, upon request, at which the defendant and the prosecutor are entitled to be present and of all parole or other postconviction release proceedings, and to be present at all such proceedings.
(h) To be reasonably heard, upon request, at any public proceeding, including any delinquency proceeding, in any court involving release or sentencing, and at any parole proceeding.
Marsy’s Law – Death Penalty Cases
(n) To be informed of all postconviction proceedings, to participate and provide information to the parole authority to be considered before the parole of the offender, and to be notified, upon request, of the parole or other release of the offender.
History of Marsy’s Law
The effort is named after Marsalee “Marsy” Nicholas who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in California in 1983. A week later he was released pending his court proceedings and went face to face with the victim’s family, who had no idea he was out of jail. Today her family is working to secure a voice and protection for victims and their families, nationwide. Individual Marsy’s Law measures have now been approved in California, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Nevada. Nearly 140 million people, or 40 percent of all Americans, now receive protected rights under Marsy’s Law.
Marsy’s Law Media Contacts
Deborah Clayton & Kim Schofield