Pa. Attorney General To Appeal Ruling On Vote Counting For Marsy's Law

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania attorney general's office plans an immediate appeal of a judge's order that votes for and against a victims' rights constitutional amendment shouldn't be counted or certified by the state after next week's balloting.

Spokeswoman Jacklin Rhoads said Thursday her agency disagrees with the ruling on procedural and substantive grounds and expects to file an appeal and application for extraordinary relief with the state Supreme Court before day's end.

Commonwealth Court Judge Ellen Ceisler on Wednesday issued a preliminary injunction against counting the votes while litigation and appeals go on.

The amendment would put into the state constitution a set of rights for victims.

Ceisler said the amendment would have immediate, profound and in some cases irreversible consequences for the rights of the accused and the criminal justice system.

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