Marsy's Law, a victims’ rights constitutional amendment, bestows upon crime victims a vast array of often vague, difficult and costly to administer rights, including extensive notification, involvement, privacy, and restitution provisions, and enshrines them in state constitutions. This amendment has far-reaching consequences for state criminal legal systems across the country.
In 2018, NACDL conducted a social media campaign urging individuals to oppose Marsy's Law in several states, including Kentucky, where it was on the ballot. A Marsy's Law Amendment was approved in 2018 by Kentucky voters but was overturned in KACDL (Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) v. Grimes and Board of Elections. In 2020, the Marsy's Law appeared again on the ballot as Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 1 after the legislature required the full text of the amendment to be included on the ballots. The amendment passed with 63.36% of the vote. In April 2022, the Kentucky Supreme Court dismissed a legal challenge to Marsy's Law filed by KACDL. The results of the 2020 vote are still pending certification by the State Board of Elections.
