Constitutional Amendment 4


Provides rights for victims of crime in the judicial process.

“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide certain rights to victims against whom a crime has allegedly been perpetrated and allow victims to assert such rights?”


What voting “yes” or “no” means:

YES

Voting “yes” means support for amending the state constitution to provide and expand rights for victims in criminal cases.

NO

Voting “no” means you’re ok with the existing Georgia Crime Victims Bill of Rights. 


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Supporters say victims’ rights need to be expanded and included in the state constitution.

 

Opponents say that victims are protected by Georgia’s existing Crime Victims Bill of Rights and that Marsy’s Law could end up denying defendants their constitutional right to due process.

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Summary:
This proposal recognizes certain rights of victims against whom a crime has been perpetrated and provides for the enforcement of such rights.

More info:

This amendment is also known as Marsy’s Law, named after a murder victim, and advocated as part of a national effort to guarantee certain rights to crime victims.

The legislation to implement this amendment is already part of state law – the Georgia Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights – but it’s not part of the constitution.

The amendment and statute would allow the victim of a crime to assert the right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect; the right to be notified of all proceedings involving the alleged criminal; the right to be heard at any proceeding concerning the release, sentencing or plea of the person accused; and the right to challenge any decision made or verdict or sentence entered in a criminal or delinquency proceeding, among other specific rights.  


How did the General Assembly (state legislature) vote on this?