Marsy's Law, which provides new rights for crime victims, is invalid because the entire text of the proposed constitutional amendment wasn't on the ballot, the Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday.

The amendment received 63% of the vote, but the court said the one-sentence description to voters was inadequate.

"Our constitution is too important and valuable to be amended without the full amendment ever being put to the public," Chief Justice John Minton Jr. wrote for the court. Changing it "requires a meaningful, thoughtful opportunity for the voters to know what they are voting on."

The opinion affirmed Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate's finding in October that the ballot measure language was so vague and uninformative that the vote on it shouldn't be certified, pending further review by higher courts.

But because the ballot had already been printed, the amendment was presented to voters.

The ballot question asked only, "Are you in favor of providing constitutional rights to victims of crime, including the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, and the right to be informed and to have a voice in the judicial process?"

Previously:Was 'Marsy's Law' question too simple? Kentucky Supreme Court reviews

In a statement, Marsy's Law of Kentucky said the court's "unfortunate and disappointing" decision "blatantly ignores the will of the people" and that it caved in to "the 11-hour desires of a small group of criminal defense lawyers."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Whitney Westerfield said in a statement that he hoped the General Assembly would take up Marsy’s law again next year.

"Kentucky voters spoke loud and clear in support of crime victims on Election Day in 2018," he said. "It is troubling that in order to reach this conclusion the Supreme Court reversed years of established precedent and inserted an entirely new requirement for amending our state constitution."

Proponents had said the proposed amendment, which would have added 10 protections to the Kentucky Constitution, including the right to be notified of and speak out at hearings, would restore power to victims and help them heal.

The text of the amendment said it would provide "an equivalent level of legal protection" for victims "as those who are accused and convicted."

But the Kentucky Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, which challenged it, said it would "turn the presumption of innocence inside out" because it requires a judge to designate someone a victim before there is a finding that a crime occurred or that the accused committed it.

David Ward, its immediate past president, said in an email that he was pleased with the decision.

"Voters have a right to know what they are voting on and the legislature failed to tell them," he said.

More coverage:Marsy's Law could have unintended consequences for crime victims

A wide array of interest groups warned that Marsy's Law would produce unintended consequences in Kentucky.

Hardin Commonwealth's Attorney Shane Young, for example, called it "feel good legislation" that would add to court delays by giving victims — and their attorneys — official standing to speak in court.

The Kentucky Coalition of Domestic Violence refused to endorse it, saying victims are often charged as defendants when they fight back against their assailant and that abusers would be able to exploit the expanded protections to continue their harassment.

A state law allowed questions — rather than the full text of a proposed amendment — to be put on the ballot, but the Supreme Court said that violated the state constitution itself.

Ten states have passed some version of Marsy’s Law, which is named for Marsalee (Marsy) Nicholas, who was stalked and killed in 1983 in California by her ex-boyfriend.

A week later, her mother and brother, Henry T. Nicholas III, walked into a grocery store after visiting Marsy's grave and were confronted by the accused murderer. The family had not been told that he had been released on bail.

Nicholas, the billionaire founder of semiconductor company Broadcom, has almost single-handedly bankrolled an effort to get the law on the books in every state and in the U.S. Constitution, spending at least $27 million on the cause.

He injected $4.59 million last year in Kentucky alone.

It took three legislative sessions to get the amendment on the ballot, and Marsy’s Law of Kentucky spent $379,978 on lobbying the General Assembly, employing 18 lobbyists, according to the Legislative Research Commission.

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Marsy’s Law for Kentucky said the measure was supported by more than three-dozen victim groups, including the Center for Women and Families in Louisville and the state’s 13 regional rape crisis centers.

It also was endorsed by dozens of elected officials statewide, including 24 members of the Louisville Metro Council, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer Fischer and Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad.

"The scales of justice are currently tipped in favor of the accused,” Conrad said last year, “and Marsy's Law will right this imbalance."

Andrew Wolfson: 502-582-7189; awolfson@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @adwolfson. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/andreww.

What Marsy's Law says

Here are some of the provisions that would have been added to Kentucky’s Constitution under Marsy’s Law. Some are already provided by statute.