Marsy’s Law for Florida Praises Florida Highway Patrol Policy Change That Would No Longer Share Victims’ Information Without Their Approval

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 27, 2020

CONTACT:

Jennifer Fennell, CoreMessage

(850) 222-3767, [email protected]

Statement by Jennifer Fennell, Spokesperson for Marsy’s Law for Florida

“Marsy’s Law for Florida today thanks to the Florida Highway Patrol for their effort and commitment to protect victims’ right to privacy by ensuring a victims’ personally identifiable information is kept private, in line with Florida’s Constitution.

We praise FHP’s willingness to reassess current policy and procedures to better align with the constitutional rights brought forth by Marsy’s Law for Florida. We thank FHP for their commitment to transparency, and to a victim’s right to privacy, moving forward. Marsy’s Law for Florida is confident FHP will set a positive example in Florida on how agencies can be empowered to protect the rights of crime victims.

Clear, enforceable crime victims’ rights, commonly called Marsy’s Law for Florida rights, were placed in the Florida Constitution following the passage of Amendment 6 in 2018. Article 1, section 16 in Florida’s constitution states victims of crime have: ‘(5) The right to prevent the disclosure of information or records that could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim’s family, or which could disclose confidential or privileged information of the victim."

For more information on Marsy’s Law for Florida, visit www.marsyslawforfl.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Attached is a copy of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles/Florida Highway Patrol memo announcing this policy change.

####

About Marsy’s Law

Marsy’s Law is named after Marsalee “Marsy” Nicholas of California who was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend in 1983. Only one week after her death, Marsy’s mother and brother, Henry T. Nicholas, walked into a grocery store where they were confronted by the accused murderer. The family, who had just come from a visit to Marsy’s grave, was unaware that the accused had been released on bail. In an effort to honor his sister, Dr. Nicholas, co-founder of Broadcom Corporation, has made it his mission to give victims and their families constitutional protections and equal rights. He formed Marsy’s Law for All in 2009, providing expertise and resources to victims’ rights organizations nationwide.