State Senator John Stevens (R-Huntingdon) and State Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain) have proposed Amendment HJR 94 that adds Marsy’s Law to the Tennessee Constitution. Marsy's Law ensures that victims of crime have enforceable rights and protections.
Rep. Hazlewood said, “At this point, victims of crime in Tennessee do not have the guaranteed right to be notified when their abuser is released. Victims do not have the right to be heard in criminal proceedings involving sentencing, release, or pleading. Victims do not have many guaranteed and meaningful rights that Marsy’s Law would provide, and as a result, trauma often extends past the scene of the crime and to the criminal proceedings. I am proud of the Amendment we introduced, and I hope our state legislature joins us in putting victims first.”
Senator Stevens said, "Crime victims in Tennessee deserve rights and protections just as much as crime victims in Florida, California, Kentucky, and any of the other states that have already passed Marsy’s Law. We will continue to fight to ensure that victims of crime in Tennessee are guaranteed the respect and dignity they deserve.”
The efforts to provide crime victims with equal rights started with Dr. Henry Nicholas, brother of murder victim Marsy Nicholas, for whom Marsy’s law was named. Thirteen states have already passed Marsy’s Law.