Victims' rights amendment could be taken off Florida ballot

[TexasTowelie]

A Florida attorney wants a judge to remove from this year's ballot a proposed constitutional amendment dealing with victims' rights.

Lee Hollander, a criminal defense lawyer based in southwest Florida, filed the lawsuit late last week in a Leon County court. Hollander's lawsuit maintains that the proposed constitutional amendment that is going before voters is misleading and does not adequately inform them about what it actually does.

The measure, known as Amendment 6 or Marsy's Law, was put on the ballot earlier this year by the state's Constitution Revision Commission. The commission meets every 20 years and has the power to place amendments directly before voters. They must be approved by 60 percent of voters in order to pass.

Amendment 6 would spell out crime victims' rights, including protections from harassment, being informed of the accused's custody status, the right to be heard during criminal proceedings and the right to confer with prosecutors about any plea agreements. The proposal also puts in limits on how long appeals can take. The amendment, if passed, would also raise the mandatory retirement age for judges and justices from 70 to 75.

Read more: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/political-pulse/os-marsys-law-ballot-amendment-20180716-story.html

[Jake Stern]

1. Victim's rights my ass

Florida law already protects all these for crime victims so Lee Hollander is right: It's just pandering to the heartstrings at the expense of the rights of the accused.

Sick and tired of people hiding behind crime victims for feel good bullshit like this and I hope a judge does the right thing and tosses this garbage.