Amendment 3Constitutional amendment · Put on the ballot by lawmakers
Expand crime victims’ rights
Explain it like I'm 5
This would replace Tennessee’s current list of crime-victim rights with a longer list, including more notice and chances to speak. It is like moving rules from a note that can be changed easily into the school’s main rulebook.
Yes vote
Replacing the current constitutional victims’ rights list with broader rights in criminal and juvenile cases.
No vote
Tennessee’s current constitutional list of crime-victim rights would remain.
The question to ask yourself
Are broader constitutional rights for victims worth possible added legal complexity and administrative work?
The case for
- Gives victims clearer rights to notice, attendance, information, and participation.
- Adds constitutional protection for being heard about release, sentencing, and parole.
- Creates stronger protections for victim safety and restitution.
Backed by: Marsy’s Law for Tennessee, Tennessee Voices for Victims, Republican Party of Tennessee
The case against
- Tennessee already provides constitutional rights for crime victims.
- Additional requirements could complicate or slow criminal cases.
- Ordinary laws may be easier to adjust than a constitutional amendment if problems arise.
Opposed by: ACLU of Tennessee
- Money
- A one-time local publication cost of about $9,400 was estimated; ongoing implementation costs were not estimated.
- Don't be misled
- It is misleading to say victims could control prosecutions or overturn convictions, because the amendment preserves court and prosecutor authority and does not create a damage claim.