Mahaska County Sheriff Supports Passage Of Marsy’s Law

Mahaska County Sheriff Russ Van Renterghem spoke with Oskaloosa News about his support for Marsy’s Law.

Mahaska County, Iowa – In a recent press release, Mahaska County Sheriff Russ Van Renterghem expressed his support of Marsy’s Law.

The legislation would push to have victims’ rights protected constitutionally.

“Defendants have a lot of constitutional rights, both in Iowa and at the federal level, and rightfully so to protect their legal interest,” said Van Renterghem. “Those rights are in the constitution for a reason. I would just like to see the victim’s rights be in there as well.”

Those rights could be the right to be kept informed on the process. Many victims have little to no knowledge of the legal process, and the law would help victims better understand what is taking place.

Van Renterghem says it might balance the scales “a little bit more.”

“I would encourage anybody to get on Marsy’s Law website and read the history,” added Van Renterghem. “Marsy, the victim, who this all came about from, is pretty fascinating.”