In 1983, 23-year-old Marsalee Ann Nicholas, who went by Marsy, was murdered in Malibu by Kerry Conley, her ex-boyfriend. Conley was convicted of second-degree murder in 1985 and he died in prison in 2007. But in the period between his charges and his conviction, Conley was free after posting $100,000 bail.

Voters Nov. 5 will have a chance to amend the state's constitution with a ballot initiative aimed at enshrining the rights of crime victims into law.

Over the summer, the state Senate unanimously passed Marsy's Law, allowing it to go to voters for a final decision as a ballot measure. The law is part of a national initiative that started in California in 2008. As of this year, 12 states had passed a ballot measure for Marsy's Law, according to Ballotpedia.

Linda Strachan, director of Butler County's Victim Outreach Intervention Center, welcomed the measure as a way to help victims navigate the criminal justice system.

“The thing I find most important is, typically, when people look at rights related to crimes, there are a lot of protections for the accused and this is the first real push to protect victims,” Strachan said. “This is the first real push to protect the rights of victims.”

But some disagree. The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union opposes Marsy's Law. It called the language “vague” and “formulaic” in a statement, and said its experts aren't satisfied that the changes won't infringe on the rights of the accused.

Read more in Monday's Butler Eagle.