Billings Working to Comply with Marsy’s Law

Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito and Billings City Attorney Brent Brooks are working quickly to comply with the notification requirements of Marsy’s Law, approved Tuesday by Montana voters by a 65 percent margin.  Constitutional Initiative 116, the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights, assures crime victims, among other things, the right to be notified and to be heard “in any proceeding involving the release, plea, sentencing, disposition, adjudication or parole of the defendant or youth accused of delinquency and any proceeding implicating the rights of the victim.”

Twito said this week that information technology vendors are visiting Billings next week to update his office software.  The new law requires that crime victims be handed a Marsy’s card, directing them how to access information on the case they’re involved in.  The two prosecutors are cooperating to develop the card and get it in the hands of people who deal with crime victims, including law enforcement and social services.  Brooks and City Administrator Tina Volek plan to ask the Billings City Council for an additional employee to update information