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RES-2018-066 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> RESOLUTION TO OPPOSE MARSY'S LAW CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT <br /> WHEREAS, in March 2oi8 the Orange County Board of Commissioners adopted a <br /> resolution in support of Marsy's Law, which is now on the November 2o18 ballot as a <br /> constitutional amendment; and <br /> WHEREAS, since that time, this amendment has become part of a broader campaign to <br /> amend the North Carolina Constitution to fundamentally undermine the separation of <br /> powers and core democratic principles; and <br /> WHEREAS, while we are committed to supporting victims and their families and believe <br /> they deserve dignity and respect, further analysis of this amendment reveals that it will <br /> violate due process rights, unnecessarily restrict and delay criminal proceedings, <br /> undercut diversion programs and other efforts to reduce incarceration rates in our <br /> community, and significantly increase costs for our criminal justice system; and <br /> WHEREAS, North Carolina already has statutory and constitutional protections for crime <br /> victims, and that those victims would be better served by increased State resources for <br /> existing victims' support programs, domestic violence shelters, and effective diversion, <br /> counseling, and re-entry programs, rather that this unnecessary and misleading <br /> amendment; <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> does hereby rescind the resolution adopted on March 20, 2oi8; and <br /> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners is opposed <br /> to the Marsy's Law / Crime Victims' Amendment constitutional referendum, and <br /> encourages all residents of Orange County North Carolina to also oppose this misguided <br /> and harmful amendment. <br /> This the 1St day of November, 2o18. <br /> Mark Dorosin, Chair <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />