Corporations as Marsy's Law victims debated before North Dakota Supreme Court

Marsy's Law may see its first clarification of who is a victim as the North Dakota Supreme Court heard arguments on Thursday on restitution to an insurance company.

North Dakota voters in 2016 embedded Marsy's Law for victim rights in the state Constitution. Police and prosecutors have since grappled with the constitutional amendment, some withholding traditionally public information in certain details of crimes amid perceived ambiguity over the definition of a victim.

Justices heard arguments in the case of Javonne Hunt, of Bismarck, who disputes a judge's order that he pay about $27,500 in restitution to Blue Cross Blue Shield after his assault conviction for breaking another man's jaw in a fight. He did agree to pay about $3,200 for the injured man's out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Victim definition

Public defender Yancy Cottrill argued that corporations are not victims under Marsy's Law, pointing to the constitutional provision as conflicting with and overriding statute on its definition of a victim as "a person."

Read more: https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/corporations-as-marsy-s-law-victims-debated-before-north-dakota/article_a3cbc48d-f179-59c6-9e32-bceee8e611a5.html