Lying about missing children could become a felony offense

By DARA KAM
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011
Posted: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011

TALLAHASSEE — A special state Senate committee created in response to the death of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony and acquittal of her mother, Casey, wants to make it a felony to lie to law enforcement officials when a child goes missing and is hurt or killed, punishable by five years in prison.

Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, chairman of the Select Committee on Protecting Florida's Children, proposed revising the law that currently classifies lying to law enforcement officials investigating crimes as a misdemeanor. Negron's measure would make it a third-degree felony for anyone to "knowingly and willfully" give false information to law enforcement officers conducting an investigation involving a child 16 years of age or younger.

Anthony this summer was acquitted of murdering her daughter but convicted of four counts of misleading law enforcement officers. An Orlando judge sentenced her to four years behind bars - one for each count of lying to police officers - and she was released earlier this year after serving three years while awaiting trial.

Under Negron's proposal, Anthony could have been sentenced to 20 years.

Anthony's acquittal on murder charges prompted Florida legislators to file a flurry of "Caylee's Law" measures, but Negron said he did not want to craft a new law specifically in response to the Anthony verdict. Unlike the other bills, Negron said he would not attach the child's name to the measure.

"But the bottom line is, if your child is missing and you're intentionally and willfully misleading law enforcement, that's evil behavior and it won't be tolerated. By making it a third-degree felony, I think we're making that statement," he said.

Negron said he would have a bill for the committee to vote on at its next meeting and the measure could be available for a Senate floor vote as early as January when the session begins. Still in draft form, Negron's bill does not yet have a House companion.

Anthony, now 25, was convicted of lying to investigators about working at a Universal Studios theme park, about leaving her daughter with a nanny, about leaving the child with friends and about receiving a telephone call from her.

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:cheering: I hope it becomes a Universal law.

I think it will. I wonder how TMLS will "feel" about that. Oh, I forgot. She DOESN'T Feel!!!