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Policing Matters Podcast: How Marsy’s law protects victims’ families

Jim and Doug discuss issues related to victims’ rights (or lack thereof)

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The year is 1983. A University of California Santa Barbara student named Marsy Nicholas is stalked by an ex-boyfriend and brutally murdered. A week after Marsy was murdered, her mother and brother are confronted by the accused murderer in a grocery store. They had no idea that he had been released on bail.

Dr. Henry Nicholas – the key backer and proponent of Marsy’s Law – notes that criminals have more than 20 individual rights spelled out in the U.S. Constitution, while the surviving family members of murder victims have none. States such as California, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota and Ohio are considering – or have already passed – laws and Constitutional amendments that address this disparity. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss issues related to victims’ rights (or lack thereof).

Policing Matters law enforcement podcast with host Jim Dudley features law enforcement and criminal justice experts discussing critical issues in policing
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