I am proud to announce my support for Marsy’s Law for Maine, an important bipartisan effort that seeks to bring equal rights to victims of crime in Maine. While the U.S. Constitution provides specific rights for those accused and convicted of crimes, it fails to provide equal rights for victims of crime. Marsy’s Law seeks to correct that so Maine’s Constitution ensures crime victims have the rights I firmly believe they deserve.
Among the rights Marsy’s Law for Maine will afford crime victims in our state are the right to receive timely notification of proceedings and other major developments in their case, the right to receive timely notification of changes to the offender’s custodial status, and the right to be present at court proceedings. Victims will also have the right to provide input to the prosecutor before a plea agreement is finalized, the right to be heard at plea or sentencing proceedings, or any process that may result in the offender’s release, and the right to restitution. Victims will also have the right to receive information about their rights.
Current Maine law, which allows for some of the above measures “whenever practicable,” is not enough for victims of crime, who are the individuals most impacted by crime, and whose lives are forever changed in many cases. Crime victims across Aroostook County — from Houlton to Presque Isle to Fort Kent — deserve rights that are recognized at the highest level of the criminal justice system. I believe we can all agree that no rapist should have more rights than the victim, and no murderer should be afforded more rights than the victim’s family.
Equal rights and legal protections for Maine crime victims are common sense and overdue. Crime victims in 35 other states already have them. I was proud to walk with Marsy’s Law for Maine supporters in this year’s Potato Blossom Festival Parade, who join me in my commitment to supporting the measure. Together, we can make sure Marsy’s Law earns a spot on the ballot in November 2018 so Maine voters can voice their support for this important initiative.
Rep. Harold “Trey” Stewart II
Presque Isle
