Marsy`s Law, One Year Later: Significant Progress Reported on Crime Victims` Rights

Eighty-One Criminals Receive Maximum 15-Year Parole Denials since California
Voters Passed the Comprehensive Crime Victims` Bill of Rights
ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
In the year since Marsy`s Law was passed by California voters on Nov. 4, 2008,
the new Crime Victims` Bill of Rights has significantly improved victims` rights
in the state, but more education is needed in the legal community to ensure that
the law is implemented and followed.

As a result of provisions in Marsy`s Law, 81 criminals have received new maximum
15-year parole denials and an additional 393 convicted felons have been denied
parole for seven to 10 years, according to the Crime Victims Action Alliance web
site. Prior to Marsy`s Law, parole hearings were denied for a maximum of five
years, with most ranging between one and three years.

The new provisions have greatly eased the burden on families of victims by
dramatically reducing the number of times they must attend hearings to argue
against a prisoner`s release. At parole hearings families are forced to undergo
the emotional anguish of reliving the crime, and, for many, the frequent
hearings create financial hardships as well. For the state, longer parole
denials have meant significant cost savings to taxpayers.

"Because of Marsy`s Law, I was afforded liberties that I have not seen in any of
the previous parole hearings I`ve attended for other crime victims," said
Justice for Homicide Victims member Arnold Heilemann. His son`s murderer
received the maximum 15-year parole denial on Jan. 5, 2009. "It will be a long
time before we have to relive the agony of another parole hearing, but we must
remain vigilant that Marsy`s Law does not become a law that can be ignored."

The California District Attorneys Association has trained District Attorneys
across the state to ensure that crime victims are aware of and fully understand
their Marsy`s Rights. Implementation materials can be found on the
organization`s web site. The office of the California Attorney General lists
resources on its web site, including the Marsy`s Law card that officers are
required to provide any citizen affected by crime. All major California District
Attorneys, including Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside County, San Diego,
and San Francisco prominently address Marsy`s Law resources on their web sites.

"Marsy`s Law has exceeded our expectations in achieving crime victims` rights in
our judicial system, but we must continue to educate the legal community to
ensure all of the Law`s requirements are completely enforced," said Marsy`s Law
co-author and Broadcom founder, Dr. Henry Nicholas, III. "With MarsysLawForAll,
the movement that has grown out of the Marsy`s Law campaign, we will continue to
help unify the victims` rights movement through new technologies until all crime
victims are afforded the same rights."

Marsy`s Law was named for Dr. Nicholas` sister, who was murdered in 1983 by a
stalker ex-boyfriend.

About MarsysLawForAll

MarsysLawForAll is focused on expanding the constitutional rights of crime
victims nationwide and supporting the use of new technologies to help unify
geographically-dispersed grass-roots organizations. Its new Web site,
www.MarsysLawForAll.org, aims to enable the victims` rights movement to reach
new members and promote the eventual passage of a U.S. Constitutional
Amendment.

MarsysLawForAll
Erika Torres, 714-552-5144

Copyright Business Wire 2009