Police Department —

Ohio Victims’ Right Request Form

Ohio Victims’ Rights Laws (Also Known as Marsy’s Law)

What is Marsy’s Law?
Marsy’s Law for Ohio ensures that victims of violent crime have the same co-equal rights as the accused and convicted – nothing more, nothing less.

Marsy’s Law, named for Marsy Nicholas, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 1983, was enacted by voters in November 2017 as an amendment to Ohio’s Constitution. California was the first state to adopt Marsy’s Law in 2008; Ohio is the sixth state to adopt the constitutional amendment, also known as the Ohio Crime Victim’s Bill of Rights.

Many crime victims’ rights guaranteed by Marsy’s Law already existed in the Ohio Revised Code or Ohio’s Rules of Evidence. Adding specific language to the Ohio Constitution, however, makes sure that everyone involved in the criminal justice system—police, prosecutors, court clerks, and judge—know what rights crime victims have. Moreover, the Law explicitly makes available remedies to crime victims if their constitutional rights are violated.

Ohio Victims’ Right Request Form here: Ohio Victims’ Right Request Form PDF Download