Senate sends ‘Marsy’s Law’ bill shielding identities of crime victims, some police officers to Governor

A bill that would shield the identities of crime victims and some police officers who say they are victims of crimes is heading to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk after the Legislature overwhelmingly approved it Wednesday.

The Florida Senate voted 33-4 on the bill. The House passed the bill unanimously last week.

The Florida Supreme Court struck down portions of legislation known as “Marsy’s Law” more than two years ago. It had protected the identities of crime victims. The state’s highest court left the door open for the Legislature to amend the law.

Under the new bill, the identities of police officers who say they are victims of assault or threats would be kept confidential for 72 hours and exempt from disclosure in public records for 60 days. Identifying details about crime victims – including any information that could be used to locate, intimidate, harass or abuse a victim – would be kept confidential indefinitely.

The bills do not protect victims’ names from being released in court. Under Florida’s constitution, defendants have a right to question and cross-examine their accusers. In these cases, the victims’ names would be identified in court and related documents. If the Governor signs the bill, lawmakers would also have to reapprove the measures again after 2031.

Marsy’s Law was initially a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2018. The amendment was intended to protect crime victims from having their identities revealed in public records.

However, some police agencies began invoking Marsy’s Law for officers who used lethal force in the field under the idea that the officers were victims as well. The confidentiality of police officers was contested in court, leading to the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling.

The law is named for Marsy Ann Nicholas, a 21-year-old college senior in California who was stalked and killed by her ex-boyfriend. Her murder sparked a national initiative to protect the identities of crime victims.

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Gabriel Velasquez Neira reports via Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporters can be reached at [email protected]. You can donate to support our students here.