Janice
07-08-2011, 10:25 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/caylees-law-petition-casey-anthony_n_892317.html?ncid=webmail2
'Caylee's Law' Petition Goes Viral, Aims To Make Not Reporting A Missing Child A Crime
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/303564/thumbs/r-CAYLEES-LAW-large570.jpg
"Caylee's Law (http://www.change.org/petitions/create-caylees-law)" has already gained over 330,000 signatures on Change.org (http://www.change.org/).
The petition, which was created by Michelle Crowder of Oklahoma, aims to make not notifying police of a missing child a crime.
According to USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-07-caylee-anthony-petition_n.htm?csp=34news), it also calls for strict penalties when parents do not quickly report the death of a child.
The call for the law comes in the wake of Tuesday's verdict in the Casey Anthony trial (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/casey-anthony), in which the young mother did not report her child missing for some time.
From USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-07-caylee-anthony-petition_n.htm?csp=34news):
"Caylee's Law" would make it a felony for parents or caregivers to not report the death of a child to authorities -- accidental or otherwise -- within one hour. It also would make it a felony for guardians to not notify law enforcement of the disappearance of a child within 24 hours. The petition has quickly gone viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of online signatures in less than 48 hours.
The brief description from the Change.org posting (http://www.change.org/petitions/create-caylees-law):
Caylee's Law, contact your Senator and Representative: there should be a new federal law created called Caylee's Law that will make it a federal offense for a parent or guardian to not notify law enforcement of a child going missing in a timely manner. Let's keep another case like Caylee Anthony out of the courts.
You can read the full petition letter here (http://www.change.org/petitions/create-caylees-law).
However, the potential law, which is aimed at President Obama and Congress, may not be constitutional on a federal level according to the Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/07/06/proposed-caylees-law-generates-virtual-frenzy/). It seems criminal laws such as these tend to fall under state jurisdiction.
But "Caylee's Law" may at least come to fruition in Oklahoma. Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/07/us-anthony-law-idUSTRE76613820110707) has reported that Oklahoma state Rep. Paul Wesselhoft plans to introduce the law during the 2012 legislative session. Wesselhoft apparently aims for a maximum misdemeanor or a felony conviction for a violation of the law if it is passed.
Update: Lawmakers from four states, including Oklahoma, have proposed versions of "Caylee's law", ABC News reports (http://abcnews.go.com/US/casey-anthony-trial-aftermath-caylee-law-drafted-states/story?id=14020260):
"Wesselhoft, a Republican, plans to propose a law at the start of Oklahoma's legislative session in 2012 that would make it a felony for a parent of guardian not to notify authorities within 24 hours of a child's death. He also plans to propose a requirement for parents to notify runaways under the age of 12 in a timely manner, although he admits having a time table for that is "more difficult because you don't know when the clock starts," he said.
'Caylee's Law' Petition Goes Viral, Aims To Make Not Reporting A Missing Child A Crime
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/303564/thumbs/r-CAYLEES-LAW-large570.jpg
"Caylee's Law (http://www.change.org/petitions/create-caylees-law)" has already gained over 330,000 signatures on Change.org (http://www.change.org/).
The petition, which was created by Michelle Crowder of Oklahoma, aims to make not notifying police of a missing child a crime.
According to USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-07-caylee-anthony-petition_n.htm?csp=34news), it also calls for strict penalties when parents do not quickly report the death of a child.
The call for the law comes in the wake of Tuesday's verdict in the Casey Anthony trial (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/casey-anthony), in which the young mother did not report her child missing for some time.
From USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-07-caylee-anthony-petition_n.htm?csp=34news):
"Caylee's Law" would make it a felony for parents or caregivers to not report the death of a child to authorities -- accidental or otherwise -- within one hour. It also would make it a felony for guardians to not notify law enforcement of the disappearance of a child within 24 hours. The petition has quickly gone viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of online signatures in less than 48 hours.
The brief description from the Change.org posting (http://www.change.org/petitions/create-caylees-law):
Caylee's Law, contact your Senator and Representative: there should be a new federal law created called Caylee's Law that will make it a federal offense for a parent or guardian to not notify law enforcement of a child going missing in a timely manner. Let's keep another case like Caylee Anthony out of the courts.
You can read the full petition letter here (http://www.change.org/petitions/create-caylees-law).
However, the potential law, which is aimed at President Obama and Congress, may not be constitutional on a federal level according to the Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/07/06/proposed-caylees-law-generates-virtual-frenzy/). It seems criminal laws such as these tend to fall under state jurisdiction.
But "Caylee's Law" may at least come to fruition in Oklahoma. Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/07/us-anthony-law-idUSTRE76613820110707) has reported that Oklahoma state Rep. Paul Wesselhoft plans to introduce the law during the 2012 legislative session. Wesselhoft apparently aims for a maximum misdemeanor or a felony conviction for a violation of the law if it is passed.
Update: Lawmakers from four states, including Oklahoma, have proposed versions of "Caylee's law", ABC News reports (http://abcnews.go.com/US/casey-anthony-trial-aftermath-caylee-law-drafted-states/story?id=14020260):
"Wesselhoft, a Republican, plans to propose a law at the start of Oklahoma's legislative session in 2012 that would make it a felony for a parent of guardian not to notify authorities within 24 hours of a child's death. He also plans to propose a requirement for parents to notify runaways under the age of 12 in a timely manner, although he admits having a time table for that is "more difficult because you don't know when the clock starts," he said.