“Caylee’s Law” Passes State Assembly in California with Overwhelming Bipartisan Support, Headed To the State Senate … Kentucky Proposing Law as Well … Delaware Too

Caylee Anthony’s legacy … There may not have been “Justice for Caylee” … however, other children may receive it.

“Caylee’s law” has passed the State Assembly in California with near unanimous support. The bi-partisan supported bill is now headed to the State Senate. The law inspired by the death of 2 year old Caylee Anthony and the outrage of the “not guilty” verdict of Casey Anthony, the child’s mother who was accused and tried for murder. “Caylee’s Law” would make it a crime for a parent to not report a child’s death or disappearance within 24 hours. However, a misdemeanor and only 1 year in jail seems like a rather lame sentence.

CAYLEE’S LAW … JUSTICE FOR CAYLEE

“Caylee’s Law” would make it a crime for a parent to not report a child’s death or disappearance within 24 hours, according to the Sacramento Bee. Offenders would be charged with a misdemeanor and could face up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. The law is inspired by Casey Anthony, who failed to report her daughter’s death for a month, but who ended up notoriously being acquitted of murder. Los Angeles Democrat Holly Mitchell sponsored the bill.

Casey Anthony

The California version of Caylee’s Law passed the assembly 66-3 and it will will off to the state Senate for a vote. What should be common sense to report your child missing, was not the case during the Casey Anthony murder trial who eventually stated that the child was never missing, but drown. However, that did not prevent a missing persons case to ensue where eventually Caylee’s remains was found in a swamp.

It is hard to believe that a state would need to make it a crime for a parent to not report their child missing, but if states do not want future Zanny the nannies being blamed for kidnappings and children even being reported missing rather than parents going clubbing instead, a law need to be passed. That is what  Florida prosecutor Jeff Ashton faced during the Casey Anthony murder trial. Listen to interview to Jeff Ashton HERE. Its kind of hard to not act in a bipartisan manner when it comes to the protection of children. What kind of person would throw their child into the woods, when thousands of strangers who never knew Caylee came to the memorial site to honor and stand with the little girl.

UPDATE I: Kentucky lawmakers are also proposing their version of Caylee’s Law that would make it a felony not to report the disappearance of a child 12 or younger within 12 hours.

Democratic Reps. Richard Henderson of Jeffersonville and Keith Hall of Phelps said it would give prosecutors another tool to help police and prosecutors.

Republican Rep. Stan Lee of Lexington and Ernie Lewis, legislative agent for the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, raised questions about the wording of the bill at a House Judiciary Committee meeting Wednesday.

UPDATE II: Add Delaware to the list as well that is proposing a version of Caylee’s Law. The Delaware House of Representativesleaders from both caucuses unveiled legislation Thursday that would tighten Delaware’s missing child laws in response to the hue & cry last year following the Casey Anthony murder trial.

House Democratic and Republican leaders asked Attorney General Beau Biden to review existing state law and the “Caylee’s Law” proposal to determine whether the proposal was viable and how it potentially could fit into Delaware Code. Attorney General Biden wrote that Delaware law provides the authority to protect children, “including prosecuting parents for failing to report their missing child” to the authorities. But he suggested a small addition to clarify the parent’s reporting responsibility.

Sponsored by Democratic Reps. Robert F. Gilligan, Peter C. Schwartzkopf and Valerie J. Longhurst and Republican Reps. Gregory F. Lavelle and Gerald W. Hocker, House Bill 256 would ensure that when a person fails to report a missing child and the child becomes neglected as a result of the failure to report, that person can be charged with the crime of endangering the welfare of a child.