VALDOSTA – When voters head to the polls in November they will find Amendment 4 on the ballot.

Marsy’s Law, or Amendment 4, will give crime victims constitutional rights — just as strong as those that protect the accused and convicted.

Marsy’s Law would provide the following basic rights to crime victims:

• The right to receive information about their rights and services available to crime victims
• The right to receive notification of proceedings and major developments in their criminal case
• The right to receive timely notification of changes to the offender’s custodial status
• The right to be present at court proceedings
• The right to provide input to the prosecutor before a plea agreement is finalized
• The right to be heard at plea or sentencing proceedings or any process that may result in the offender’s release
• The right to restitution

Georgia is one of only a handful of states that have no victims’ rights in the state constitution.

The history of Marsy’s Law can be traced back to its origin in California.