Will this amendment will place an undue burden on the already slow court proceedings?
The vast majority of the rights outlined in Marsy’s Law for Iowa are already in statute. The criminal case is now, and will continue to be, between two parties only -the State and defendant. The victim will not become a third party to the criminal case. The prosecutor will continue to make decisions on how and when the case will be resolved. Allowing victims the opportunity to be heard and confer with the prosecutor simply puts the victims’ interests in justice back into the conversation. This law would not diminish the authority of the prosecutors' office to make decisions related to the case. It simply gives the victim of the crime a voice in the process, not a veto.