LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18)– On Election Day 2018, a majority of voters voted in favor of adding Marsy’s Law to the Kentucky Consitution, despite a ruling against the wording of the question posed on the ballot.
A judge in Kentucky ordered officials not to certify the results of the election on Marsy’s Law, saying that the way the question was worded was misleading. It was too late to remove the question from the ballot, so people had the opportunity to vote on it.
The question to voters read as follows: “Are you in favor of providing constitutional rights to victims of crime, including the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, and the right to be informed and to have a voice in the judicial process?”
The judge’s decision could be overturned by the Supreme court.
A version of Marsy’s Law has been put into the constitutions of at least 15 states. Marsy’s Law for Kentucky, a nonprofit group advocating for the change, spent more than $4.5 million on a statewide advertising campaign.
“At its core, Marsy’s Law for Kentucky is about fairness and equality for all, and I’m proud to see Kentuckians vote to add this to our constitution,” said Ashlea Christiansen, Marsy’s Law for Kentucky State Director. “From this day forward, I hope the criminal justice system will no longer be a place of confusion and further re-victimization, but rather a place of hope and healing for victims.”
