Uncategorized
Montana court asked to block crime victims’ bill of rights
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Matt Volz Associated Press
HELENA (AP) – A list of rights for crime victims that a California businessman is pushing to enact across the nation amounts to a hostile takeover of Montana’s constitution and should be blocked, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Montana voters approved the crime-victims’ rights known as Marsy’s Law as a constitutional amendment last fall, joining Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota and California as states where the law has passed.
The law is named after Marsy Nicholas, a California college student who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. Her brother, Broadcom Corp. co-founder Henry Nicholas, campaigned to pass Marsy’s Law first in California in 2008, then in the four other states and is now pushing to enact it in nine more.
The law gives crime victims and their families the right to participate in judicial proceedings, to be notified of changes in the case or of an offender’s release and it expands their privacy rights, among other provisions.
Marsy’s Law will take effect in Montana on July 1, unless the state’s Supreme Court agrees with the prosecutor, defense attorneys, counties and civil-liberties organization who are trying to stop it.
The law, known in Montana as Constitutional Initiative 116, isn’t tailored to the existing provisions of Montana’s constitution, and it would amend or conflict with at least eight of them, according to the lawsuit.
Prosecutors could be required to take on cases they might not otherwise, the due-process rights of accused violators would be harmed and public information would be undermined to add privacy protections for relatives, friends and corporations, according to the lawsuit.
“CI-116 will force me to make the impossible choice between seeking justice for all Montanans and enforcing long-standing constitutional protections or serving the narrow, competing interests of Marsy’s Law’s newly expanded pool of victims,” said Lewis and Clark County Attorney Leo Gallagher, one of the plaintiffs.
The state’s high court should block the law because it violates a constitutional provision that prohibits multiple subjects from being included in a single ballot initiative, the lawsuit said. The law changes so much within the state constitution that it can’t be considered a single subject, the plaintiffs said.
“The prescient framers of Montana’s Constitution protected against this type of out-of-state financed, ‘hostile takeover’ of Montana’s Constitution,” the lawsuit says.
Chuck Denowh, a lobbyist who is the spokesman for the Marsy’s Law initiative backers in Montana, said the plaintiffs are trying to deprive victims of the rights that voters approved by a two-to-one margin. “There will always be a handful of people that simply don’t believe crime victims should have equal constitutional protections to their offenders,” Denowh said.
Copyright 2017 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
more
Event Details
Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
Time
(Wednesday) 10:15 am - 10:45 am
Location
Bozeman Public Library
626 E. Main St, Bozeman, MT