Tag Archives: marsy’s law

Shane Goettle, a member of the committee sponsoring Marsy's Law, speaks at a press conference in the state Capitol prior to petitions, shown in front of podium, being delivered to the Secretary of State's office in May 2016. (Tom Stromme /Bismarck Tribune file photo)

Judge to Rule on Whether a Marsy’s Law Provision Is Constitutional

- March 11, 2020 - ,

Judge to Rule on Whether a Marsy’s Law Provision Is Constitutional

- March 11, 2020 - ,

MINOT, N.D. — Marsy’s Law is a bad idea shoved into our state constitution, over the nearly united objections of those working in North Dakota’s criminal justice system, by voters who were bamboozled with a slick initiated measure campaign exclusively bankrolled by a drug-addled California billionaire. The existence of this public policy abomination is an…

Marsy's Law movement founder Henry Nicholas, seen here in a mugshot with Ashley Fargo. Photo via the Las Vegas Police

Marsy’s Law Backer Gets Sweetheart Plea Deal for Drug Charges in Nevada

- August 5, 2019 - ,

In North Dakota billionaire Henry Nicholas was able to buy his hobby horse initiated measure onto the statewide ballot for a vote. That was Marsy’s Law, the so-called “victims rights” amendment to the state constitution which has, since it was ratified by voters, been an absolute headache for the criminal justice system while doing very…

Shane Goettle, a member of the committee sponsoring Marsy's Law, speaks at a press conference in the state capitol prior to petitions, shown in front of podium, being delivered to the Secretary of State's office. In back from left are Marsha Lembke, Burleigh County Sheriff Pat Heinert, Kelly Leben of the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department, Lacee Anderson, Kathleen Wrigley and Nicole Peske. TOM STROMME/Bismarck Tribune

Thanks to Marsy’s Law Corporations Can Maybe Have Victim Rights Too

- May 16, 2019 - ,

North Dakota voters made a grievous mistake when they, at the behest of a campaign funded by a California billionaire, approved the “Marsy’s Law” amendment to the state constitution. The fallout from that mistake continues to unfold in state courts. Earlier this year I wrote about a state Supreme Court decision in State vs. Strom…

State Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, D-Fargo, promotes her "red flag" bill while police chiefs and Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, listen at the state Capitol Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. John Hageman / Forum News Service

Plain Talk Podcast: Rep. Karla Rose Hanson Discusses Gun Seizure Bill

- January 17, 2019 - ,

Should the government be able to take a person’s guns because a court finds you dangerous? Is that a reasonable protection for public safety, or something amounting to pre-crime? Denying a person their civil rights based on what they might do? Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, a Democrat from Fargo and sponsor of so-called “red flag”…

Shane Goettle, a member of the committee sponsoring Marsy's Law, speaks at a press conference in the state capitol prior to petitions, shown in front of podium, being delivered to the Secretary of State's office. In back from left are Marsha Lembke, Burleigh County Sheriff Pat Heinert, Kelly Leben of the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department, Lacee Anderson, Kathleen Wrigley and Nicole Peske. TOM STROMME/Bismarck Tribune

Marsy’s Law May Have Put North Dakota in Violation of the 8th Amendment

- January 16, 2019 - ,

Marsy’s Law is yet another of the legal headaches created by North Dakota’s deeply flawed initiated measure process. Approved by voters after a slick marketing campaign bankrolled by a California billionaire (who is currently facing drug trafficking charges), Marsy’s Law created in North Dakota’s constitution what supporters call “victim’s rights” and more honest observers describe…

Kathleen Wrigley, chair of the Marsy's Law for North Dakota ballot measure, announces Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, in Fargo the measure for the November 2016 ballot with the sooty of area victims' rights advocates. Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor

Reminder: Marsy’s Law Is Still an Absolute Mess Which Has Done Very Little to Help Victims

- October 15, 2018 - ,

Back during the 2016 election cycle North Dakota voters cast their ballots overwhelmingly for Marsy’s Law, a constitutional amendment that was the hobby horse of (recently indicted) California billionaire Henry Nicholas. Critics of the measure (including this humble observer) argued that the amendment would make a mess out of existing laws and policies governing the…

Marsy's Law movement founder Henry Nicholas, seen here in a mugshot with Ashley Fargo. Both were arrested in Las Vegas on drug charges. Photo via the Las Vegas Police

Billionaire Who Funded Marsy’s Law Campaign Busted for Drug Trafficking in Las Vegas

- August 10, 2018 - ,

The Marsy’s Law campaign here in North Dakota was the pet project of California billionaire Henry Nicholas who has spent millions pushing ballot measures here in North Dakota and elsewhere. In fact, in our state, Nicholas was pretty much the only contributor to the measure campaign, paying for signature collectors and a slick media campaign…

Kathleen Wrigley and other Marsy's Law supporters speak about their constitutional amendment in 2016.

North Dakota Supreme Court Begins Cleaning up the Marsy’s Law Mess

- January 23, 2018 - ,

Marsy’s Law is terrible public policy. “[A] hobby farm for an eccentric California billionaire,” as former state Supreme Court Justice Sandstrom told me during the 2016 election cycle when voters cast their ballots overwhelmingly for the constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, I think North Dakota voters were bamboozled by slick campaign (Kelsey Grammer!) funded exclusively from California by…

Kathleen Wrigley, chairwoman of the Marsy's Law for North Dakota campaign in 2016, speaks about the initiated measure.

Lacee Anderson: Port Throws Marsy’s Law Under the Bus

- November 10, 2017 - ,

Rob Port’s latest attempt to throw Marsy’s Law under the bus as a “tragic mistake” is ill-advised and uninformed. Port references a recent incident involving a police officer who invoked his Marsy’s Law rights after shooting a member of the public who allegedly attacked him. Among the many erroneous assumptions Port has made in his…

In this file photo, Shane Goettle, a member of the committee sponsoring Marsy's Law, speaks at a press conference in the state Capitol prior to petitions being delivered to the Secretary of State's office. In back from left are Marsha Lembke, Burleigh County Sheriff Pat Heinert, Kelly Leben of the Burleigh County Sheriff's Department, Lacee Anderson, Kathleen Wrigley and Nicole Peske. Tom Stromme / Bismarck Tribune

North Dakota’s Initiated Measure Reformers Should Look to Montana

- November 8, 2017 - ,

I’m not exactly a fan of legislating at the ballot box, or direct democracy generally. But in particular, I don’t believe it’s a good idea to enact complicated public policy merely through a vote of the people. Does anyone really believe that harried voters, already asked to be informed on national and state and local…

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