Marsy's Law for North Carolina

FAQs

• What is the victims’ rights amendment known as Marsy’s Law that passed in November 2018?

  Marsy's Law for North Carolina is a state constitutional amendment that gives crime victims a set of guaranteed, enforceable rights throughout the criminal justice process — rights that live in the constitution itself rather than in statute, so they can't be quietly changed or chipped away session to session by the legislature.
  
  North Carolina voters approved Marsy's Law in November 2018 with more than 62 percent of the vote, and it took effect the following year once lawmakers passed the implementing legislation. In practice, that means a victim can request to be notified of court proceedings involving the accused, to be present and heard at those proceedings, to receive timely notice if the offender's custody status changes, to reasonably confer with the district attorney's office, and to receive restitution when the court orders it.
  
  Marsy's Law doesn't alter the district attorney's authority, and it doesn't take anything away from a defendant's right to a fair trial or due process. It simply guarantees that victims have a voice and a way to stay informed in a process that, for too long, treated them as bystanders in their own case.

• How does Marsy’s Law NC provide rights to victims of crime?

  Marsy's Law guarantees meaningful and enforceable rights to crime victims in a number of important ways, including:

  • informing victims and their families about their rights and the services available to them,

  • giving them the right to receive notification of proceedings and major developments in a criminal case,

  • protecting their safety by notifying them in a timely manner regarding changes to the offender’s custodial status, and

  • allowing victims and their families to exercise their right to be present - and heard - at court proceedings.

• Does Marsy's Law infringe on the rights of the accused?

  Marsy’s Law respects the rights of the accused and does not change the Constitutional protections that ensure fair trials and due process for criminal defendants. Marsy’s Law simply gives victims of a crime in North Carolina a voice in the criminal justice process.

• Where can I read the text of the amendment?

  Read the full list of North Carolina Victims' Rights Laws here >>