Caylee's Law/General Assembly To Introduce Caylee’s Law After Casey Anthony Case

January 13, 2012 11:25 PM
Reporting Pat Warren

video
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BALTIMORE (WJZ)– The death of two-year-old Florida girl Caylee Anthony will be considered in a seemingly unlikely place– the Maryland General Assembly.

Political Reporter Pat Warren reports, a bill is being introduced as Caylee’s Law.

Since she was found innocent in July of the death of her daughter Caylee, Casey Anthony has made headlines with a video diary that popped up on YouTube.

“The good thing is that things are starting to look up and things are starting to change in a good way,” Casey Anthony said in the video.

Some Maryland lawmakers are using her example as a reason to make some changes themselves.

The fate of the two-year-old sparked national outrage, from a Casey Anthony dunk tank featured at a fair in Lexington, Ky., to phone calls to the Maryland General Assembly.

“We just have never seen such response to a trial that took place in Florida,” Baltimore County Del. Susan Aumann said. “I can’t tell you how many telephone calls I’ve received over the time. I mean, it was just incredible.”

Casey Anthony did not report her child missing until 31 days after Caylee Anthony disappeared.

“It’s just negligence.”

Del. Aumann is sponsoring a bill in the House to make it a felony for a parent or guardian to fail to report the disappearance or death of a child within 24 hours.

“If you make absolutely no attempt and you don’t bother at all to try to find out where your children are, this is what this law is pertaining to,” she said. “The fact that you just have no regard for their health or welfare especially children who are under age. Caylee Anthony was two years old.”

Harford Senator Nancy Jacobs is sponsoring the bill in the Senate.

According to the sponsors, the bill has the support of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association.

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(AP) FRANKFORT, Ky. - A proposal by two eastern Kentucky lawmakers would make it a felony not to report the disappearance of a child 12 or younger within 12 hours.

The bill is called "Caylee's law" for a 2-year-old Florida girl who died in 2008. Her disappearance was highly publicized through the Casey Anthony trial. Anthony, the mother of Caylee, did not report the toddler's disappearance for at least one month. The child's body was found in Dec. 2008, six months after her mother said she was kidnapped by a what was determined to be fictitious babysitter in June 2008.

Anthony was ultimately was found not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child, but was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.

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.

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A law inspired by Casey Anthony and introduced by a Los Angeles assemblywoman has passed the state assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support and is headed over to the state senate.

"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.

Anthony lived in Florida, but her case has been an inspiration to at least sixteen states around the country and some very popular Change.org petitions.

The law sounds like common sense — why shouldn't a parent report their kid missing? — but not everyone is a fan. Some critics say creating laws to respond to one high-profile case isn't good legislating. And Huffington Post reporter Radley Balko says these laws could have their own problems: they could cause overcompliance, it could be hard to tell when to start the clock and there's the potential for the rule to be abused by prosecutors. I cry BS!! One cannot "overcomply" when a child is "missing."

The bills are incredibly popular, however, with lots of support by the public as well as politicians scandalized by the Anthony verdict. California's version of Caylee's Law passed the assembly 66-3.

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By TED SIEFER
New Hampshire Union Leader
Published Jan 31, 2012 at 3:00 am


CONCORD — Lawmakers are set to weigh a bill today that would require parents and guardians to report within 24 hours to law enforcement authorities when a child dies or goes missing.

The bill, HB 1709, was inspired by the trial in Florida last year of Casey Anthony, who was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee after not reporting her missing for a month.

The bill states that “any person who has primary responsibility for the care and supervision of a child under 12 years of age and is unable to determine the location of the child for a period of at least 24 hours shall notify the local law enforcement agency.”

The child's death also must be reported.

“When kids aren't reported missing it gives (perpetrators) enough time to clean up the evidence,” said Rep. Alfred Baldasaro, R- Londonderry, one of the bill's sponsors. “Every time a child goes missing, it should be reported.”

The law would apply not only to parents and legal guardians, but anyone who has primary responsibility for a child at the time he or she disappears, such as a day care worker.

The Senate will take up a similar version of the bill at a hearing on Thursday.

Violating the law as it is currently written would be considered a Class A misdemeanor.

House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt acknowledged the penalty may need to be strengthened.

“That was the suggestion of the attorney general's office,” he said. “I will be suggesting we look hard at making a harsher penalty.”

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Ariz. House approves 'Caylee's law' bill requiring reporting of children missing for 24 hours

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: February 07, 2012 - 5:01 am
Last Updated: February 07, 2012 - 5:02 am

PHOENIX — The House has approved so-called "Caylee's Law" bill inspired by the Casey Anthony case in Florida.

Republican Rep. Michelle Ugenti (you-gen-tee) of Scottsdale sponsored the bill, which would make it a felony punishable by a presumptive sentence of 1 1/2 years if a parent to fails to report that a child under age six has been missing for 24 hours.

More than a dozen other states have considered similar legislation after Casey Anthony didn't report 2-year-old Caylee Anthony missing for about a month. The mother was acquitted of murder in the daughter's death.

Ugenti says police need to begin searching quickly and that parents must be held responsible for their children.

The bill now advances to the Senate.

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Every time I see another State has approved Caylee's Law I say a little prayer for this to be a nation wide law.

SPRINGFIELD -- A Senate panel began considering legislation Wednesday designed to tighten state laws for parents who fail to report missing children.

The proposal debated by the Senate Criminal Law Committee comes in reaction to a Florida jury's acquittal in July of Casey Anthony, who was facing charges in connection with the death of her daughter, Caylee.
The case, which was covered extensively by television crime analysts, triggered a number of states to begin investigating ways to legally punish parents who fail to report a missing child within a reasonable amount of time.

The proposal sponsored by state Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago, would make it a Class 3 felony -- punishable by up to five years in prison - if a parent or guardian of a child age 12 or under fails to notify police in a timely manner if the child is missing or in potential danger of death or serious injury.

The committee delayed action on the proposal after Steve Baker of the Cook County Public Defender's office raised concerns that some of the language of the legislation is unconstitutionally vague.

State Sen. Tom Johnson, R-West Chicago, also raised questions over whether the maximum penalties should be lessened.
And, state Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton, mocked the proposal, suggesting that the alleged crime was overblown simply because the "talking heads on TV" disagreed with the Florida jury's not guilty verdict.

Silverstein said he would bring the measure back to the panel after further changes are negotiated.

"I'm just trying to sharpen it up," Silverstein said.

The proposal in Illinois mirrors efforts in several other states, including Nebraska, Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Ohio.

The legislation is Senate Bill 2537.

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:cheering:

lindamarie wrote: Every time I see another State has approved Caylee's Law I say a little prayer for this to be a nation wide law.

Ditto.

February 14, 2012

Rep. B.J. Pak of Lilburn on Tuesday filed a bill that would make it a crime not to report missing children quickly, The Associated Press reported.

If passed, "Caylee Anthony's Law" would "require a parent or guardian to report the disappearance or death of a child in a timely manner," Pak's office said in a statement.

Last year, Caylee Anthony's mother, Casey Anthony, was acquitted on charges of murdering 2-year-old Caylee. In 2008, Caylee hadn't been seen for a month before Casey Anthony's mother reported her missing. Her remains were found almost five months later.

Representatives Pak and Buzz Brockway of Lawrenceville will hold a press conference on "Caylee Anthony's Law" Wednesday morning at the state capitol.

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A Republican lawmaker wants to allow prosecutors to bring charges against parents who do not quickly report missing children.

Rep. B.J. Pak of Lilburn filed a bill Tuesday called "Caylee Anthony's Law." It was inspired by the acquittal last year in Florida of Casey Anthony on murder charges.

In June 2008, Anthony's 2-year-old daughter was last seen at the Orlando home the mother shared with family members. Anthony spent the next month claiming the child was with an imaginary nanny.

Pak's proposal would also change the penalties for concealing the death of another person. Similar proposals have surfaced in more than a dozen states.

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1:19 PM, Feb. 14, 2012

TALLAHASSEE — A bill inspired by 2-year-old Caylee Anthony’s death is moving in the Florida House after being changed to match the Senate’s version.

The bill (HB 37) was unanimously approved Tuesday by the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee but no longer sets reporting deadlines for missing or deceased children.

Police say that could result in unintended consequences.

Instead, it increases the maximum from a year in jail to five years in prison for knowingly making a false statement to police about a missing child.

The bill also no longer is called “Caylee’s Law.”

The changes were made earlier to align it with a bill (SB 858) that’s awaiting final Senate committee action.

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Two state lawmakers have filed bills for the March 12 session of the Louisiana Legislature that could impose stiff jail sentences on individuals who fail to report missing children or try to obstruct a police investigation into the child's disappearance. Sens. Robert Kostelka, R-Monroe, and A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, have filed separate bills to head off incidents like the one that resulted in the disappearance and death of Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. A jury eventually acquitted Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, of murder but found her guilty of providing false information to police who conducted the investigation.

Crowe's Senate Bill 74 and Kostelka' Senate Bill 75 provide for a maximum jail sentence of five years for anyone convicted of intentionally giving false information to police to thwart an investigation into the disappearance of a child.

Crowe's bill also creates the new crime of failing to report the death of a child. It defines a child as anyone under the age of 18 who is single. The bill sets a maximum of 20 years in prison but does not mandate a minimum sentence.

Crowe said constituents asked that he file the legislation after the uproar of disapproval with the Anthony verdict in Florida.

Kostelka's bill takes a slightly different approach. It states that "caretakers" who fail to report a child missing when they have not been in touch with them for 24 hours -- 12 hours if the child is 13 or younger -- can be subject to a range of punishments.

If the child is missing and later discovered dead, the caretaker can face at least two years and up to 50 years, behind bars and a maximum $50,000 fine.

Kostelka's bill says that if the child is missing for more than six months at the time of the conviction and is "not determined to be dead," the caretaker can be jailed for not less than two nor more than 10 years and fined up to $25,000.

His proposal says that if the child is determined to be a victim of physical or sexual abuse while missing, the caretaker can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined a maximum of $10,000.

Kostelka's bill prohibits the sentences' being suspended or served on probation.

If the child is found unharmed, the bill calls for a maximum penalty of six months in jail, a maximum $500 fine or both.

If the guardian cannot report the child is missing because of "circumstances beyond the caretaker's control," the reporting deadlines "shall be suspended," according to the bill.

Kostelka's bill requires caretakers to report the death of a child within an hour of learning of the death or learning the location of the body. Violations could result in a jail sentence of up to five years in jail, a maximum $5,000 fine or both.

Rep. Sherman Mack, R-Albany, two weeks ago filed similar legislation.

So far, 185 bills gave been filed in advance of the session, 110 in the House and 75 in the Senate.
Some of the others include:

House Bill 87 by Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, calls for a constitutional convention to write a new state charter. The convention would be called if a 13-member "evaluation and drafting committee" of legal, business and political experts votes that a new charter is needed. The convention, if deemed necessary, it would be held from Jan. 5, 2015, to July 15, 2015, with 123 delegates writing the document -- 105 elected from state House of Representatives districts, the 13 members of the evaluation and drafting panel and five from business, labor and other groups. Voters would decide on the charter in the 2015 governor's election; if approved, it would go into effect Jan. 1, 2016.

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raine1953 wrote:

lindamarie wrote: Every time I see another State has approved Caylee's Law I say a little prayer for this to be a nation wide law.

Ditto.

3:22 PM, Feb 15, 2012

ATLANTA -- A state representative is asking for Georgia to consider adopting Caylee Anthony's Law.

Rep. B.J. Pak (R-Lilburn) introduced the legislation, known as House Bill 974, during a press conference Wednesday.

Caylee Anthony's Law requires a parent or guardian to report the disappearance or death of a child in a timely manner.

"Many, including myself, were outraged by the outcome of Casey Anthony's trial," Rep. Pak said in a statement. "We felt that justice was never served for the death of Caylee. We have reviewed Georgia's laws and determined that HB 974 is needed to avoid such incidents of injustice."

The proposed bill includes two new measures. The first would require a parent of guardian of a child under age 13 to maintain constant contact with the child, and to report him or her missing after an 18-hour period with no contact. Parents who break this law could spend one to 10 years in prison.

The second measure requires a parent of guardian of a child under age 16 who passes away to report the death to the property authorities within 12 hours. Punishment for failing to report the death in a timely manner could be one to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of $1,000 to $5,000.

Similar legislation has been introduced in at least 14 states, including Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. Another 12 states plan to introduce such bills in the near future.

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Posted: Feb 14, 2012 2:55 PM CST
Updated: Feb 14, 2012 3:54 PM CST

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- State lawmakers have begun to debate a bill inspired by last summer's Casey Anthony murder trial.

Representative Tony Shipley is pushing a bill to make it a felony for a parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who does not notify law enforcement about the disappearance of a child within 24 hours. Right now in Tennessee there are no laws on the books that penalize a parent for not reporting a missing child.

"Parents need to be responsible for their children. If a child goes missing, they need to report that, to authorities quick enough. Studies show that if a child goes missing for 24 hours, the likelihood of them being found is practically zero," said Shipley.

Casey Anthony was on trial over the summer after her two-year-old daughter Caylee went missing in Florida for 31 days before Anthony called police. Caylee's body was later discovered in a wooded area near her home.

State lawmakers were supposed to debate the bill inspired by Anthony late Monday but they decided to hold off for a week while changes to the bill are made.

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TALLAHASSEE — The House Judiciary Committee passed its version of Caylee’s Law Wednesday, a bill that would make it a third-degree felony to purposely give wrong information to law enforcement looking for a missing child who is 16-years-old or younger and that child is harmed or killed.

Rep. Jose Diaz, R-Miami, said he was surprised by a verdict this past summer in the Casey Anthony case, who faced murder charges in connection to the disappearance of her daughter Caylee.

Caylee Anthony was last seen on June 15, 2008. But her mother waited a month before telling her parents or police the child was missing, repeatedly lying about her and the child’s whereabouts, according to testimony at Casey Anthony’s trial. Caylee’s body was not found until December 2008.

“The question we all asked ourselves was how could a mother lie about her child, the disappearance of her child,” Diaz said. “It was unconscionable. It was inconceivable.”

Diaz’ measure originally went further, making it a crime for failing to report a child missing. But the Senate has put forth its own version of the bill that focuses only on misleading law enforcement officers.

“It’s not justice for Caylee,” Diaz said. “There will be never justice for Caylee, but it will be a much needed adjustment to our laws.”

The House bill is now ready for a vote before the entire Florida House; the Senate version still has two committee stops before it can be voted on by the entire Senate.

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“It’s not justice for Caylee,” Diaz said. “There will be never justice for Caylee, but it will be a much needed adjustment to our laws.”

:cheering:

Measure includes tougher punishments for child abuse

Published On: Feb 23 2012 10:45:35 AM EST

ORLANDO, Fla. -
Lawmakers are running into some roadblocks in trying to make the penalties tougher for parents who don't immediately report missing children.

This all comes after the murder of Caylee Anthony in 2008, and her mother's high-profile trial and acquittal last summer.

17 states tried to pass "Caylee's Law" legislation, named after Casey Anthony's 2-year-old daughter, whose disappearance in Florida was not reported for a month.

But many of these efforts have failed or stalled over concerns that the changes were too broad, and in some cases, not necessary.

Iowa is the latest state to have trouble trying to strengthen penalties for people who don't report missing or abused children in a certain amount of time.

A legislative panel rejected a bill on Wednesday that would've required parents in the state to know their children were safe in any 24-hour period.

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By DAVID THOMAS
GateHouse News Service
Posted Feb 24, 2012 @ 06:20 PM
Last update Feb 24, 2012 @ 06:21 PM

SPRINGFIELD -- As a criminal defense attorney, public defender Stephen Baker doesn’t often support laws that add new statutes to the criminal code.

But as the director of legislative affairs for the Illinois Public Defenders Association, he sees the writing on the wall for Caylee’s Law. Six versions of the bill, which are a reaction to the Casey Anthony case in Florida, are pending in the General Assembly.

All of the proposals would do the same thing: criminalize the failure of parents or guardians to report a child’s disappearance or death to law enforcement.

House Bill 3804, sponsored by Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, has moved the furthest through the legislative process. It cleared the House Judiciary Committee for criminal law on Thursday.

Franks’ bill would make it a felony for a parent or a legal guardian to fail to report the disappearance of a child under the age of 13 to law enforcement officials within 24 hours. A violation would be punishable by one to three years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

If a child under 2 dies or disappears, the parents would have no more than an hour to alert authorities

Public defenders don’t like the bill, but are willing to work with Franks and other legislators on wording, Baker said.

“If the bill is going to move, make it better,” he said.

Franks said his bill won’t punish parents whose children go missing if they’re in the care of another family member or away at summer camp, or in other circumstances beyond their control.

“All of those concerns have been alleviated,” Franks said. “We’ve worked very hard on this bill.”

Differences

Franks’ bill is similar to Senate Bill 2537, proposed by Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago.

But Silverstein’s bill would have parents or caretakers in violation of the law if they fail to report that the child is “potentially in danger of death and serious injury.” Baker said the phrase “potentially in danger” is too vague.

“Every child is potentially in danger, everyone is potentially in danger,” Baker said. “The use of the words potentially and danger is unconstitutionally vague in other statues in other contexts.”

State Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, is also sponsoring a version of Caylee’s law, but his proposal treats a dead child and a missing child differently. A dead child under 18 is to be reported within 12 hours. A missing child 13 or younger must be reported within 24 hours, under the proposal.

“I can’t imagine why any parent wouldn’t report their child was dead. I can’t imagine how this would be an overreaction,” Bomke said.

Nationwide trend

Illinois is one of 17 states that have some version of Caylee’s Law working through the legislative process, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

However, Baker said it won’t work for legislators to copy and paste laws from different states.

“Depending on the legal culture in different states, you’re going to have different phraseology,” Baker said. “You can’t just plug the New Jersey statute into Illinois.”

Casey Anthony case

The law was inspired by the actions of Florida mother Casey Anthony, who was the subject of a murder trial that received intense nationwide media coverage.

On July 15, 2008, Anthony told police she had not seen her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in 31 days. She later would give authorities different responses about what happened to her daughter.

Caylee Anthony’s body was found in December 2008 in woods near her home. Her mother was charged with murdering Caylee, but ultimately was convicted only of providing false information to police.

Florida had no law criminalizing a parent’s failure to report a child’s disappearance or death.

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February 23, 2012 06:19:05 PM

Now that public passions over the Casey Anthony trial have cooled, lawmakers are taking a more sober look at legislation that was proposed immediately after she was acquitted last July of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Florida’s House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that makes significantly more modest changes in state law than the original "Caylee’s Law" would have. Legislators initially sought to make it a felony to fail to report the disappearance of a child 12 years of age or younger within 48 hours. Some also wanted to make it a felony to fail to notify law enforcement of the death of the child or the location of a corpse within two hours.

These were knee-jerk responses to a unique, bizarre case in Orlando. Casey Anthony in 2008 waited 31 days before notifying police that Caylee had disappeared. Five months later, the child’s remains were found in a wooded area near the family’s home. A jury found Casey not guilty of murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child. She was convicted only on four counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer. Anthony received a sentence of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count. After serving 12 days behind bars, she was released.

The outcome was frustrating, to say the least. But the ire would’ve been more properly focused on the prosecution, which failed to persuade the jury, and not on a perceived inadequacy in the law. Casey Anthony didn’t walk because the state lacked sufficient statutes with which to charge her. She’s free because jurors didn’t believe the evidence proved Anthony’s guilt.

Since last summer, legislators wisely considered the potential unintended consequences of setting specific time frames for failing to report missing children (something that happens extremely rarely anyway) and decided to aim lower.

Florida hardly was alone. The Associated Press reports that of the 17 states have attempted to pass their versions of "Caylee’s Law," only New Jersey has one on the books. Many of these efforts have stalled because legislatures have discovered that proposed changes were too broad, or unnecessary.

Under current Florida law, it’s a first-degree misdemeanor to knowingly and willfully give false information to a law enforcement officer who is conducting a missing person investigation or a felony criminal investigation with the intent to mislead the officer or impede the investigation. House Bill 37 (and a similar measure in the Senate) would make it a third-degree felony for parents or guardians who lie to law enforcement officials during an investigation when a child under age 16 is missing, dies or is seriously injured.

Why carve out an exception for children of a certain age? Why not just increase penalties for lying to police — period? Apparently, lawmakers are intent on crafting some kind of symbolic response to the Anthony trial. This one at least makes the least mischief.

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5:21 p.m. EST, February 28, 2012

TALLAHASSEE – With no debate, the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Budget Subcommittee on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to "Caylee's Law," named after Caylee Anthony. The three-year-old was found dead in 2008 – months after she'd disappeared. Her mother, Casey Anthony, who was acquitted of her murder, ultimately acknowledged that she lied to her parents and police for 30 days before acknowledging her daughter was missing. The proposal, SB 858, makes it a third-degree felony to purposely lie to law enforcement looking for a missing child under 16 if that child is harmed or killed. The bill has one more Senate committee stop, but the House version is ready for the floor.

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By Michael Peltier
TALLAHASSEE, Fla | Thu Mar 8, 2012 11:01pm EST

(Reuters) - The Florida legislature on Thursday passed and sent to the governor a law intended to protect missing children that was prompted by the death of two-year-old Caylee Anthony and the acquittal of her mother, Casey, of murder charges.

The Florida state Senate on Thursday unanimously passed the measure that would make it a third degree felony to give false information to a law enforcement officer about a missing child.

The bill, dubbed "Caylee's law," already had passed the state House of Representatives and now will go to Governor Rick Scott for his signature.

The proposal responded to public outrage after Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murder last year in a trial that received saturation media coverage and was followed by millions of Americans.

Anthony was charged with four counts of lying to police about Caylee and was sentenced to four years in prison, the maximum sentence for lying to police, which was a first degree misdemeanor. She was released last summer after time served.

Caylee went missing in 2008 and prosecutors said she was dead for a month before Casey Anthony told anyone. Prosecutors said Casey Anthony repeatedly lied to authorities about her daughter.

Had the bill been in effect, she could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine for lying to police.

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:cheering: :cheering: :cheering: :cheering: :cheering:

Bill requires parents to notify police after child goes missing

Matthew Bieniek
Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — A bill sponsored by Delegate Kevin Kelly that would require parents or guardians of a missing or deceased child to notify law enforcement officials within limited periods of time based on the child’s age passed the House of Delegates Thursday by a vote of 137-0.

Kelly’s bill, which was prefiled before the General Assembly session began, stemmed from his outrage over the Casey Anthony case.

“If a child disappears for more than 24 hours, law enforcement should be notified,” said Kelly. “It’s common sense. You need to do an Amber Alert.”

The proposed laws developed after Casey Anthony’s acquittal in Florida last year of charges that she murdered her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Anthony did not report her daughter missing to police, who were finally alerted to the missing child by Casey Anthony’s mother 30 days after the child was last seen. Anthony was convicted of four misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators.

The law is designed to allow prosecutors to bring charges against parents who do not quickly report missing children, with most of the proposals requiring law enforcement notification by 24 or 48 hours after a child goes missing, or a shorter time frame to report the death of a child.

House Bill 20 requires notification of a missing child under 13 years of age within 24 hours and requires reporting the death of a child within five hours of becoming aware of the death.

Kelly initially proposed making the charges felonies, but amendments were passed making the charges misdemeanors with up to three years in prison upon conviction.

Legislators in at least 13 states have filed similar bills, according to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services.

Sen. George Edwards has said it isn’t unusual for Maryland legislators to consider and pass legislation arising out of incidents reported on the national stage and garnering support in other states or in Maryland.

Edwards cited Alexis’ Law as one of those legislative actions.

That law made it a crime for a person charged with a sex crime against a child to violate a condition of pretrial release or probation.

It also allowed any judge to hear a motion for a protective order in such a case.

Edwards is a co-sponsor for a Caylee’s Law bill in the Senate, Senate Bill 139, which hasn’t been voted on yet.

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Mar 13, 2012 11:50am

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bill requiring notification of authorities when a child is missing, prompted by the Caylee Anthony case in Florida, has been overwhelmingly rejected by the Maine House.

Representatives voted 110-31 on Tuesday to kill a bill making it a crime to fail to report a missing child under 13 years of age or to fail to cooperate in the investigation of the death of a child.

The bill was prompted by the acquittal of Casey Anthony of murder in Florida in the case of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee Anthony. Maine lawmakers received hundreds of emails demanding a law addressing non-reporting on a missing child.

But opponents said that while the bill may have a feel-good effect, it poses serious constitutional problems. They said it violates the constitutional protection against self-incrimination.

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I agree

Bill targets parents who fail to report missing kids

11:00 PM, Mar. 17, 2012

PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Time requirements for parents, step-parents, guardians or legal custodians to report the disappearance of a missing child, as established by Caylee's Law:
» Under age 13: Within 24 hours.
» Age 13 to 15: Within 48 hours.
» Age 16 and above: Within 72 hours.

Eight months after Casey Anthony was found not guilty in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, the public outrage over the explosive case is still resonating in the Wisconsin Legislature.

The Assembly and Senate have passed Caylee's Law, which requires parents and other guardians to report the death or disappearance of a child within certain time limits. It now awaits Gov. Scott Walker's signature.

The impetus for the law, which was sponsored by state Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Randall, and state Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, was the firestorm that arose from Casey Anthony's acquittal last July in Florida. The verdict startled and angered people across the country, including many in Wisconsin who disagreed with the verdict and were outraged that Anthony didn't report her daughter's disappearance for a month.

"We put a lot of thought into this," said Kerkman. "We want a deterrent effect out there."

The legislation makes it a felony for a parent, step-parent, guardian or legal custodian to fail to report the suspicious or accidental death of a child. It also provides misdemeanor and felony penalties for failing to report the disappearance of a child within a certain time frame based on the age of the child and whether bodily harm or death occurs.

Kerkman said current Wisconsin law requires reporting certain deaths, but failure to do so is not a felony. Nor is there a penalty for failing to report a missing child within a particular period of time, she said.

"People were mad and frustrated (about the Casey Anthony verdict)," she said. "This does give some flexibility to district attorneys."

Winnebago County Dist. Atty. Christian Gossett understands the intent of Caylee's Law, but doesn't envision it having an impact on the justice system.

"In the Casey Anthony trial, the issue is what the appropriate verdict should have been. Had the verdict come down otherwise, we wouldn't even be talking about this," he said. "People wanted to convey their unhappiness about the outcome, but it doesn't mean that passing a law will be of any use.

"Overall, it's probably going to be a useless law. I don't think it's going to hurt anyone; it just won't help. People are going to know this law for about six months and then will forget that it's on the books." WTH??

Pros and cons
Fox Cities police officers see a mixed bag when it comes to Caylee's Law.

"I don't think that it will be a deterrent for similar types of cases," said Jason Weber, community liaison officer with the Town of Menasha Police Department. "If someone is determined to commit a homicide or already has, I am pretty sure that they are not too concerned with being charged with failure to report a missing child."

But Weber sees potential for the law in other areas.

"There are times when we see absentee parents that do not report their children as missing. Most of the time, the child has run away on their own. A majority of these runaways tend to return home or are located within a short period of time," Weber said. "There is always a concern that the child could become involved in something dangerous or be placed in a dangerous situation. This type of legislation could be used as a tool for law enforcement to use against those absentee parents and might be viewed as a deterrent by some."

That sentiment is shared by Aaron Zemlock, community liaison officer with the Menasha Police Department.

"Many have said laws named after crime victims are often driven by emotion and make bad laws," he said. "This particular law could help fill a gap in the system. Child neglect laws are already in place in Wisconsin to deal with parents who do not properly care for their children. One difficulty police often encounter are the parents who allow their children to run around, sometimes for days or weeks, with no knowledge of where they are, what they are doing or who they are with. Oftentimes these are the kids at the greatest risk of becoming victims."

While Zemlock doesn't think Caylee's Law will save children from murderous parents or guardians, he sees some potential benefits.

"It may serve as a deterrent to the parents who simply refuse to take the responsibility to protect their own children by failing to report when they are missing," he said. "Forcing an earlier report of a missing child will allow law enforcement to act quicker in locating that child which could lessen the child's chances of becoming a victim."

Parental accountability
Wisconsin is one of a more than a dozen states considering versions of Caylee's Law in the aftermath of Casey Anthony's trial.

The bill pushed by Kerkman and Lassa includes provisions that make it a felony for an unauthorized person to move the corpse of a child, or to hide or bury a corpse to collect state benefits such as medical assistance and food stamps.

Lassa said the law is designed to hold parents accountable for failing to tell police when a child has disappeared under suspicious circumstances.

"A reasonable person would find it hard to believe that if you had a child missing for more than a month, you wouldn't report it," she said. "Most people can relate (to the intent behind Caylee's Law) because of their kids or grandkids."

The law has the strong backing of Jay Breyer, a board member of Mission Home, an Appleton-based nonprofit organization that provides support and advocacy to families of missing and exploited children.

"We expect so much responsibility from people involved in missing persons cases," he said. "We need to have accountability for parents also."

Breyer said prompt reporting is critically important when children disappear.

"With the information age, you can react to missing persons cases within seconds," he said. "If children are not where they are supposed to be, then you need to react accordingly."

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Posted on March 20, 2012 by Capitol news bureau

Legislation inspired by an infamous missing child case cleared a state Senate committee Tuesday morning.

Senate Bill 75 would subject parents to prison-time for failing to report their child is missing.

The legislation is patterned after the Casey Anthony case in which the Florida mother failed to tell authorities her 2-year-old daughter was missing. The child’s remains later were found in a wooded area.

State Sen. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, told the Senate Committee on Judiciary C that he does not want what happened in Florida to happen in Louisiana.

“The guilty will be punished,” he said.

Under SB75, a child 13 or younger must be reported missing within 12 hours of disappearing.

The penalty for failing to report the disappearance would be:

Up to 50 years in prison if the child is found dead.
Up to 10 years in prison if the child remains missing for more than six months.
Up to 10 years in prison if the child was physically or sexually abused while missing.
Up to six months in jail if the child is found unharmed.

District Attorney Jerry Jones with the 4th Judicial District in Ouachita Parish said the legislation is important because it often is difficult to tell how a child died.

“Children are suffocated, they’re strangulated,” he said. “A lot of times the evidence is gone by the time the child is found.”

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Delaware’s version of Caylee’s Law was approved unanimously in the state House. House Bill 256 would tighten Delaware’s missing child laws and was created after constituents called their state representatives in the wake of the national trial of Casey Anthony. Delaware’s measure does not create a new section of code, but tweaks the existing code to include ‘failing to report a missing child’ to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child. The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

———————————————-

NEWS RELEASE: BIPARTISAN BILL STRENGTHENING MISSING
CHILD REPORTING LAWS PASSES HOUSE
HB 256 sponsored by House Democratic and Republican leaders

DOVER – The House unanimously passed legislation on Tuesday that would tighten Delaware’s missing child laws. The bill stemmed from requests from constituents in the wake of a national controversy in which a mother was acquitted after being accused of killing her two-year-old daughter and not reporting her missing for a month.

House leaders of both parties sponsored House Bill 256, which 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.

“It’s absolutely critical when you have a missing child situation that it is reported as quickly as possible to increase the chances of finding the child,” said House Majority Leader Rep. Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, a retired state trooper who followed the televised court proceedings of Casey Anthony. “That’s why both sides of the aisle have worked together on this issue. Protecting our children from harm is not a political issue; it’s a parental issue. We want to make sure there is no doubt that if a parent or guardian does not report a missing child, they will face consequences.”

Last year, many Americans closely followed the Florida murder trial of Casey Anthony, who was accused of killing her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. After Anthony was found “not guilty,” an online proposal began circulating that called for the creation of a new felony-level crime, dubbed “Caylee’s Law.” The proposal sprung from testimony in the Anthony case. Two-year-old Caylee was last seen with her mother on June 16, 2008, but was not reported missing by her grandmother until July 15, 2008. Her body was discovered in December of that year not far from her home.

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.

“As a father myself, I cannot imagine any situation where a responsible parent would not promptly report the disappearance of his or her child,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Lavelle, R-Sharpley. “Unlike the approach taken by some other states on Caylee’s Law we are not proposing a new section of Code, but rather modestly tweaking an existing law to efficiently accomplish the same objective.”

HB 256 adds “including failing to report a missing child” to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child, clearing up any ambiguity about whether a parent must report a missing child as soon as possible. Under Delaware law, endangering the welfare of a child ranges from a misdemeanor to a Class E felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, depending on whether the child is harmed or dies as a result of the neglect.

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Published: Tuesday, March 20, 2012

By Jordan Fenster, Register Staff
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HARTFORD — Called “Caylee’s Law” by some, the legislature’s Judiciary Committee will be hearing public testimony Friday on a bill that would make it a crime for a parent to neglect to report a missing child within 24 hours.

According to the Office of Legislative Research, “At least 35 states are considering or have considered legislation in response to the highly publicized death of Caylee Anthony,” though only New Jersey has so far passed such a law.

“The model statute is named after Caylee Anthony, a Florida toddler whose death became nationwide news. Casey Anthony, Caylee’s mother, failed to report her daughter missing for more than a month and the child’s body was discovered near the Anthony home several months later,” said the Office of Legislative Research report, put together by research fellows Mark Randall and Hendrik deBoer at the behest of state Rep. Christie Carpino, R-Cromwell.

Casey Anthony was ultimately convicted on four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to the police. Carpino said that she does not call it “Caylee’s Law,” but “That’s where the idea came from.”

“It highlighted this national tragedy the whole nation watched unfold,” she said.

If Carpino’s proposal becomes law, a parent, caregiver or supervisor of a child could be charged with a class A misdemeanor if they knowingly fail to report a missing child, 12 or younger, within 24 hours.

“This is a law you hope never has to come into play,” Carpino said.

The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association will be testifying in favor of the proposal, Cromwell Police Chief Anthony Salvatore said, though with one small revision suggested.

According to Salvatore, there is a misconception — perhaps perpetuated by television shows, he said — “that you have to wait 24 hours before we can get involved.”

“That’s not true,” said Salvatore, one of the legislative co-chairman for the police chiefs’ association. “We just want to make it clear that you don’t have to wait 24 hours, that you should report it immediately on discovery.”
Under the bill, however, after an investigation shows that a parent or caregiver knowingly waited 24 hours before reporting a missing child 12 or under, they could be sent to jail for up to one year and be levied a fine of up to $1,000.

Though Salvatore said that, in his experience, “it has not been a problem” in Connecticut, the purpose, according to both Salvatore and Carpino, is to prevent a tragedy, which is why the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association is testifying in favor of the measure.

“If it avoids a situation or prevents a situation, that’s something we would support,” he said.

Carpino, too, believes the issue is one of prevention.

“It’s unfortunate that we need to legislate this, that there are children out there who need protecting,” she said. “If something like this would protect one child, that one child is all we need to make this bill worthwhile.”

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Winnebago County Dist. Atty. Christian Gossett doesn't have any particular problem with Caylee's Law. He just doesn't think it will have any practical effect.

The law, which requires parents and other guardians to report the death or disappearance of a child within certain time limits, was recently passed by the state Assembly and Senate. It awaits Gov. Scott Walker's signature.

Adoption of the law came nearly eight months after Casey Anthony was found not guilty in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, touching off a public outrage that resonated in legislatures across the country.

Gossett understands the reasoning behind the law, but doesn't envision it having an impact on the justice system.

"In the Casey Anthony trial, the issue is what the appropriate verdict should have been. Had the verdict come down otherwise, we wouldn't even be talking about this," he said. "People wanted to convey their unhappiness about the outcome, but it doesn't mean that passing a law will be of any use.

"Overall, it's probably going to be a useless law. I don't think it's going to hurt anyone; it just won't help. People are going to know this law for about six months and then will forget that its on the books."

The impetus for the law, which was sponsored by state Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Randall, and state Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, was the firestorm that arose from Casey Anthony's acquittal last July in Florida. The verdict startled and angered people across the country, including many in Wisconsin who disagreed with the verdict and were outraged that Anthony didn't report her daughter's disappearance for a month.

"We put a lot of thought into this," said Kerkman. "We want a deterrent effect out there."

The legislation makes it a felony for a parent, stepparent, guardian or legal custodian to fail to report the suspicious or accidental death of a child. It also provides misdemeanor and felony penalties for failing to report the disappearance of a child within a certain time frame based on the age of the child and whether bodily harm or death occurs.

"People were mad and frustrated (about the Casey Anthony verdict)," she said. "This does give some flexibility to district attorneys."

Wisconsin is one of a more than a dozen states considering versions of Caylee's Law in the aftermath of Casey Anthony's trial. The bill pushed by Kerkman and Lassa includes provisions that make it a felony for an unauthorized person to move the corpse of a child, or to hide or bury a corpse to collect state benefits such as medical assistance and food stamps.

Lassa said the law is designed to hold parents accountable for failing to tell police when a child has disappeared under suspicious circumstances.

"A reasonable person would find it hard to believe that if you had a child missing for more than a month, you wouldn't report it," she said. "Most people can relate (to the intent behind Caylee's Law) because of their kids or grandkids."

Neenah-Menasha police officers see a mixed bag when it comes to Caylee's Law.

"I don't think that it will be a deterrent for similar types of cases," said Jason Weber, community liaison officer with the Town of Menasha Police Department. "If someone is determined to commit a homicide or already has, I am pretty sure that they are not too concerned with being charged with failure to report a missing child."

But Weber sees potential for the law in other areas.

"There are times when we see absentee parents that do not report their children as missing. Most of the time, the child has run away on their own. A majority of these runaways tend to return home or are located within a short period of time," Weber said. "There is always a concern that the child could become involved in something dangerous or be placed in a dangerous situation. This type of legislation could be used as a tool for law enforcement to use against those absentee parents and might be viewed as a deterrent by some."

That sentiment is shared by Aaron Zemlock, community liaison officer with the Menasha Police Department.

"Many have said laws named after crime victims are often driven by emotion and make bad laws," he said. "This particular law could help fill a gap in the system. Child neglect laws are already in place in Wisconsin to deal with parents who do not properly care for their children. One difficulty police often encounter are the parents who allow their children to run around, sometimes for days or weeks, with no knowledge of where they are, what they are doing, or who they are with. Often times these are the kids at the greatest risk of becoming victims."

While Zemlock doesn't believe Caylee's Law will save children from murderous parents or guardians, he sees some potential benefits.

"It may serve as a deterrent to the parents who simply refuse to take the responsibility to protect their own children by failing to report when they are missing," he said. "Forcing an earlier report of a missing child will allow law enforcement to act quicker in locating that child which could lessen the child's chances of becoming a victim."

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Atty. Christian Gossett said "Overall, it's probably going to be a useless law. I don't think it's going to hurt anyone; it just won't help. People are going to know this law for about six months and then will forget that its on the books."

‘Caylee’s Law’ to get Senate hearing Tuesday
Legislation makes it a felony to not report child’s disappearance, death

The Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee will have a hearing Tuesday on “Caylee’s Law,” a bill that makes it a felony if parents or custodians fail to immediately report the disappearance or death of a child.

Opponents of the bill, which passed the House of Delegates, 137-0, on March 8, have criticized the measure as making criminals of grieving parents who do not report within the required time.

Maryland is one of several states considering such legislation after the high-profile trial last year of Casey Anthony, a mother who did not report her daughter, Caylee, missing until 31 days after she was last seen in 2008. Her daughter’s skeletal remains were found months later, but a jury acquitted Anthony last year of murder charges.

Maryland’s version of the legislation, House Bill 20, requires parents or custodians to report a child as missing within 48 hours of last being seen or two hours after a child’s death.

At the House Judicial Committee hearing in February, prosecutors said the law was needed because provisions of it would make it a crime for the parent or custodian of a deceased child to alter the scene of the child’s death.

Opponents of the bill in the American Civil Liberties Union and the Maryland Public Defender’s Office said existing laws already prohibit tampering with a crime scene and deal with negligent behavior of parents and custodians.

The Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee will have a hearing Tuesday on “Caylee’s Law,” a bill that makes it a felony if parents or custodians fail to immediately report the disappearance or death of a child.

Opponents of the bill, which passed the House of Delegates, 137-0, on March 8, have criticized the measure as making criminals of grieving parents who do not report within the required time.

Maryland is one of several states considering such legislation after the high-profile trial last year of Casey Anthony, a mother who did not report her daughter, Caylee, missing until 31 days after she was last seen in 2008. Her daughter’s skeletal remains were found months later, but a jury acquitted Anthony last year of murder charges.

Maryland’s version of the legislation, House Bill 20, requires parents or custodians to report a child as missing within 48 hours of last being seen or two hours after a child’s death.

At the House Judicial Committee hearing in February, prosecutors said the law was needed because provisions of it would make it a crime for the parent or custodian of a deceased child to alter the scene of the child’s death.

Opponents of the bill in the American Civil Liberties Union and the Maryland Public Defender’s Office said existing laws already prohibit tampering with a crime scene and deal with negligent behavior of parents and custodians.

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Opponents of the bill, which passed the House of Delegates, 137-0, on March 8, have criticized the measure as making criminals of grieving parents who do not report within the required time.

Grieving Parents report their child missing right away!

WTH is wrong with the Opponents of this bill? If Florida had that law in May KC would be in prison right now.

HARTFORD, CT - State Rep. Mike Molgano (R- Stamford) co-sponsored a bill that would allow law enforcement officers to charge a criminal misdemeanor offense to parents and guardians who wait longer than 24 hours to report a missing child under the age of 12.

Commonly referred to as “Caylee’s Law,” An Act Concerning the Reporting of a Missing Child (H.B. 5512) was initiated in response to the infamous Casey Anthony case heard in a Florida courtroom. In 2008, Anthony, who was eventually charged with first-degree murder, waited 31 days to report that her toddler Caylee was missing.

“It was sad enough to hear about the tragic death of two-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony, but what holds to this very day as an unconscionable and shocking fact is Caylee’s mother, Casey Anthony, reported she had not seen her daughter for 31 days,” said Molgano. “Such irresponsibility and neglect presents no surprise that 35 sates or more have considered or are considering a version of Caylee’s Law, and Connecticut must not be the exception.”

Endorsed by the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, the proposal received unanimous support from committee members through a 42-0 vote. It awaits action in the House of Representatives.

“The blatant disregard for the protection and safety of children by not notifying the authorities of a missing child is criminal and should carry no less than a class A misdemeanor,” said Molgano. “The children of Connecticut must never be at risk of not being reported missing within a reasonable time period as young and innocent Caylee Marie Anthony.”

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: April 06, 2012 - 7:54 pm

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed a bill inspired by 2-year-old Caylee Anthony's death.

The law increases the maximum penalty from a year in jail to five years in prison for knowingly making a false statement to police about a missing child.

Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, was acquitted last year of murdering her daughter but convicted on four counts of lying to investigators.

Caylee wasn't reported missing until 31 days after she vanished in 2008 in Orlando.

Casey Anthony completed her four-year maximum sentence while awaiting trial on the murder charge.

She could have gotten up to 20 years in prison if the bill had been in effect at that time.

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:cheering:

:cheering: To bad it is 4 year to late.

Amen!! That POS would be behind bars. I still say that any other jury would have found her Guilty!! If she had pulled this in Texas, she probably would have gotten the DP!

7:02 p.m. EST, June 8, 2012|Aaron Deslatte, Capitol View

TALLAHASSEE – Orlando's must-see-TV Casey Anthony spectacle last year has had a coast-to-coast public policy spillover, with laws inspired by the tragic death of 2-year-old Caylee and acquittal of her mother on murder charges.

Florida couldn't even claim to be the first state to pass a so-called "Caylee's law;" New Jersey beat us in January with a law making it a felony for someone with custody of a child not to call police within 24 hours of discovering the child missing. Prosecutors said Casey lied to her mother and police for 30 days before acknowledging that Caylee was missing. (Actually, it was 31 days and she did not just lie to her mother. She lied to everyone!)

Gov. Rick Scott in April signed HB 37, sponsored by Reps. Jose Felix Diaz, R-Miami, and Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, to make it a felony when someone misleads police investigating a missing child who gets injured or killed.

Wisconsin and Kansas were next. And within the last month, Connecticut, Illinois and Louisiana passed their own variants of the law.

All told, 32 states filed legislation this year to criminalize the failure to report a missing child, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

A lot of social science research – that stuff happening at universities that U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Orlando, wants to de-fund – has looked at how public policies spread from place to place, and whether they do so based on the severity of problems, in response to neighboring states, or because groups like the NRA or American Legislative Exchange Council are effectively advocating for them.

One answer to why Caylee's law has taken off is the simple metric of the audience it attracted as one of the biggest stories of 2011. Lawmakers – like media companies and advertisers and the celebrity chattering-class – are all about the eyeballs. And the Casey Anthony trial was a bigger ratings magnet in Florida than war, Scott's first year as governor or the space shuttle's retirement.

Florida lawmakers offer a perfectly valid reason why the story is worth the added enforcement and incarceration costs of a "Caylee's law."

"Most of the public was outraged to learn that [a misdemeanor] was all the law allowed," Plakon said. "What Casey Anthony really did was expose a loophole in Florida law. … Most of what we do in Tallahassee is small tweaking to the existing law."

But the cumulative costs of policymaking by anecdote can also explain why Florida led the nation in lengthening prison sentences – the average sentence grew by 166 percent -- over the last two decades, according to a Pew Center on the States report released this week.

And the nationwide rush to mimic Florida's law wasn't sparked by any statistical increase in crimes against children.

Child maltreatment – defined as sexual and physical abuse or neglect – has been largely on the decline since 1990, when the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System began tracking those data.

Over a 20-year period from 1990 through 2010, the University of New Hampshire's analysis of the data shows sexual abuse rates declined 62 percent and physical abuse rates declined 56 percent. For reasons researchers don't agree on, neglect rates declined at a slower 10-percent clip.

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Caylee Anthony case inspires new Illinois law

The Associated Press
Published: Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012 - 1:09 am

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A new Illinois law makes it a felony for parents to stay silent if a child dies or disappears.

The law was inspired by the case of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony in Florida. She was missing for a month before her grandmother contacted police.

Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, was charged with the girl's murder but was acquitted.

Gov. Pat Quinn signed the Illinois law Friday. It says parents or legal guardians must report a death or disappearance within 24 hours if the child is under 13. The time limit is reduced to one hour for children under 2.

It takes effect immediately.

---

The bill is SB2357.

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Posted on: 10:01 pm, September 3, 2012, by Nick Banaszak, updated on: 10:37pm, September 3, 2012

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.(WHNT)-A notorious crime involving a murdered toddler could soon have an impact on child welfare laws in Alabama.

SB1, better known as “Caylee’s Law”, has been pre-filed and will await state lawmakers when they return to Montgomery in the spring.

The proposed law would make failure to report a missing child a felony offense if that child ends up harmed or killed, with a conviction carrying up to ten years in prison.

The bill is named in honor of Caylee Anthony, a two-year old Florida girl who was murdered in 2008. Authorities said Caylee’s mother Casey Anthony waited an entire month before reporting her daughter missing, an action that was not illegal in Florida and many other places at the time. A jury acquitted Casey Anthony of murder charges last year.

The Alabama House passed Caylee’s law during the 2012 legislative session, but the bill ended up dying in the Senate after it got stuck behind other legislation. State Rep. Mike Ball (R-Madison) said the statute would close a key loophole in child welfare laws.

“A heinous act like this [Anthony case] will bring to light a deficiency in the laws, and I think that’s what happened in this case,” said Rep. Ball. “I don’t know of any house member or senator that opposes addressing this issue, and if there’s not any opposition, there’s no reason that we shouldn’t be able to get a good law and get it passed.”

Several other states have already passed their own versions of Caylee’s Law in the last year, including Illinois just two weeks ago.

State Sen. Bryan Taylor (R-Prattville) is the official sponsor of SB1.

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Posted: Mon 3:21 PM, Oct 01, 2012
Updated: Mon 9:52 PM, Oct 01, 2012

Casey Anthony is a free woman. She finished her probation in August and her last known location is being kept from the public for her own protection.

“We are still not releasing that information just in case. We could be jeopardizing somebody’s life, somebody’s security,” said Ann Howard with the DOC.

Casey was found not guilty of murdering her daughter Caylee last year. The acquittal sparked public outrage.

Casey didn’t report Caylee missing for an entire month and was convicted on four counts of lying to police, a misdemeanor, until now.

Monday, a new law inspired by the Anthony trial, went into affect. Had it been in place before her trial, Casey could be in prison serving 20 years for lying to police.

From now on, people who lie to police trying to find anyone under the age of 16 can be charged with a third degree felony, carrying a penalty of five years behind bars.

FDLE Special Agent Supervisor Carol Frederick says the new law gives investigators a better shot at finding missing kids quicker by helping to eliminate false leads. “If somebody has reported a child missing, it is a serious matter and we all look. We don’t want people to cry wolf.”

Even though Casey isn’t behind bars, she’s still paying for the death of her daughter. She’s broke and death threats have forced her to live in hiding.

When lawmakers began working on this legislation, it was called Caylee’s law but the title was quickly changed. The sponsor wanted to make sure people knew it was being drafted broad enough to protect all Florida children.

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Would love to know the name of the law!!

1/8/2013 9:55:00 AM
Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services

PHOENIX -- State lawmakers will get another chance to decide if parents who don't report their children as missing should be charged as criminals.

The proposal by Rep. Michelle Ugenti, R-Scottsdale, would make it a crime for a parent or guardian to fail to inform police if a child younger than six has been missing for at least 24 hours. The same requirement would apply to stepparents or anyone who "has the care of custody' of that child.

Violators could end up behind bars for 18 months.

The measure is a direct outgrowth of the Casey Anthony case in Florida.

She was acquitted two years ago of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Prosecutors said pursuing that case was complicated by the fact that Casey did not report her daughter missing in 2008 for 31 days. Her skeletal remains were found six months later.

Ugenti said, though, she is not trying to change Arizona law based on an isolated incident.

"I don't know how isolated it is,' she said.

"I'm glad it's not at an epidemic level, that's for sure,' Ugenti continued. "But it's about protecting children.'

Ugenti also said her proposal is far less sweeping than what was adopted in some other states in the wake of the Casey Anthony case.

For example, she said, the New Jersey version of the law makes it a felony to fail to report a missing child up to age 13. Illinois and South Dakota have similar measures.

And the Louisiana statute covers children of all ages.

"Mine is very tailored and narrow,' Ugenti said, notably that it applies only though age 5.

"It's designed to protect the most vulnerable population,' she continued. "If a child, a toddler is missing, their safety is at risk.'

The terms of HB 2002 are not new. In fact, the same measure was approved last year by the state House.

But the measure bogged down when state senators, at the behest of Attorney General Tom Horne, got the Senate to tack on an unrelated provision aimed at the polygamous community of Colorado City on the Utah border. That change would have allowed county supervisors to have the sheriff's department take over law enforcement in any city where at least half the local police officers over an eight-year period have had their peace-officer certifications revoked.

More than half of the officers in Colorado City have lost their certification, some for misconduct with minors and others after declaring that their loyalty to Warren Jeffs, who is considered the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is more important than state law.

Horne actually got a version of that measure out of the Senate last year, only to have it killed in the House amid opposition from the two Republican representatives of the area, Doris Goodale of Kingman and Nancy McLain of Bullhead City. McLain said the community now has new officers who are certified and it would be wrong for Colorado City to lose its local police force now because of the actions of prior officers.

With time running out toward the end of the session, Horne tacked that language it onto Ugenti's more popular House-passed bill as it was going through the Senate. But House Speaker Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, refused to consider the Senate changes, ruling that the new amendment did not meet a requirement that amendments to a bill be "germane' to the original measure.

And with lawmakers at the end of their session, that killed the entire proposal.

Horne said he intends to pursue some version of the Colorado City legislation this session.

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Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 6:38 am
The Monitor

State Rep. Ryan Guillen cited the high-profile trial of Florida mother Casey Anthony as he filed a bill in the Texas Legislature to “criminalize the failure to report a missing child.”

“Current Texas law does not adequately address such failure,” Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, said in a news release issued Thursday. “The bill also makes it a state jail felony if the child suffers serious bodily injury, permanent disability, permanent disfigurement or death.

“When seconds matter, helping to ensure that reports of missing children are submitted and filed in a timely manner can mean the difference between saving or losing a child’s life.”

Guillen’s House Bill 60 is named Caylee’s Law — a nod to the 2-year-old girl whose disappearance and death in 2008 sparked the trial and ultimately the acquittal of her mother, Casey Anthony.

Anthony infamously waited 31 days to report her toddler as missing.

“Anyone who doesn’t report their young child’s disappearance as soon as they realize it must expect to face the law,” Guillen said in the release. “Deliberate failure to render aid to a child must be treated as the crime that it is, in the state of Texas.”

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North Carolina legislators are seeking passage of a law making it a felony when parents knowingly fail to report to police their child has been missing for at least 24 hours.

The House gave unanimous approval Thursday to the bill that also would create a misdemeanor if any other person reasonably suspects a child may be in danger but fails to talk to law enforcement within a reasonable time.

The bill is named "Caylee's Law," referring to Florida toddler Caylee Anthony, who wasn't reported missing until 31 days after she vanished in 2008 and had died. Caylee's mother was acquitted of murder but convicted of lying to investigators.

Parents without a previous criminal history wouldn't receive active prison time on a first offense.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

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Published 10:30 AM EDT Mar 12, 2013

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —A Florida Senate panel has cleared increased penalties to a law closely related to "Caylee's Law."

The Criminal Justice committee passed 6-0 a bill (SB 400) that increases the penalty for the second and all subsequent offenses of giving false information to law enforcement about the alleged commission of a crime.

Casey Anthony returned to the public eye Monday after about a year and a half since a jury found her not guilty of killing her 2-year-old daughter.

The bill raises the penalty to a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years. First offenses remain first-degree misdemeanors. It also adds requirements of corroboration to convict.

"Caylee's Law" addresses false information in a missing person investigation with intent to mislead or impede.

The changes were inspired by 2-year-old Caylee Anthony's death. Caylee's mother - Casey Anthony - was acquitted of murdering her in Orlando. Caylee wasn't reported missing until 31 days after she vanished in 2008.

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Posted: Apr 18, 2013 6:19 AM CDT
Updated: Apr 18, 2013 6:25 AM CDT
By Justin Quesinberry

RALEIGH, N.C -
State lawmakers will look closely at a bill Thursday aimed at holding parents and caregivers more accountable for reporting missing children.

Caylee's Law is an effort by states around the nation and has been in the works in North Carolina for about a year and a half as House Bill 149.

It's named after Caylee Anthony, whose Florida mother Casey Anthony failed to report her daughter missing for a month. Caylee's remains were later found. Her mother was found not guilty of murder, but was found guilty of lying to investigators.

"I think we all watched and waited to see what would happen in that case," said Jacqueline Schaffer, Republican representative from District 105 in south Mecklenburg County, who sponsored the bill.

Thursday the bill is expected to make its way into the Senate judiciary committee, a key step before lawmakers make another vote.

Lawmakers said the bill is in response to feedback from citizens.

"When this case was breaking. We had an inordinate amount of emails and calls. Not only did constituents and the public care, obviously members of this body care."

Anthony did not report her daughter Caylee missing for a month," said Kelly Hastings, Republican representative from District 110 in Cleveland and Gaston counties, who also sponsored the bill.

Schaffer said, "There was really very little to charge Casey Anthony or other people in that case."

The bill is aimed at preventing that from happening in North Carolina.

"If your kid is missing for 24 hours, you're going to have to notify law enforcement," she said.

It would be a felony offense and would apply not only to parents, but also other caregivers and people with a great deal of contact with the child.

"If you're a next door neighbor and you have a lot of contact with the child and suddenly that child's gone, missing, you're going to have some responsibility of, ‘Hey, this kid is gone and I need to do something about that.' But, if you're a next door neighbor who has no contact ever, you're not going to have that responsibility," Schaffer said.

While the lawmakers said there may be some concerns about people being implicated who should not be, they said there are safeguards

"There is a good faith provision in there, so if people are acting in good faith, most likely a prosecutor is not going to prosecute them," Hastings said.

Schaffer said, "The offense is triggered when the parent wantonly or knowingly does that. There's just that flagrant disregard for the child's safety."

Hastings said, "It is important to remember that we put those words in there, wantonly, to get at people who are intentionally concealing something about a child or interfering with an investigation about a missing child or an endangered child."

The sponsors said the bill has received unanimous bipartisan support.

"We've had no resistance. I think everyone has jumped on board," Schaffer said.

It has already passed in the House and the House judiciary committee.

"Going through a judiciary committee where there's a lot of attorneys, practicing and non-practicing, you know they're always looking at statutory interpretation and how the bill will read and if the bill is challenged, will it survive in court. So these are difficult bills. The ones that go through judiciary are especially difficult from a legal standpoint," Hastings said.

Once the Senate judiciary committee looks over the bill, it's expected to go to the Senate for a vote, Hastings said.

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Aug 01, 2013
A new law taking effect today requires parents to report a missing child as soon as they’re aware the child is gone, or they’ll face criminal charges.

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, sponsored Alabama’s version of Caylee’s Law, named after Casey Anthony’s 2-year-old daughter, who went missing in Florida in 2008 and wasn’t reported missing for 31 days.

Givan said she realized during the Anthony trial in 2011 that Alabama did not have any laws in regard to a child going missing and not being reported.

“You have a responsibility to report that your child is missing,” Givan said.

Givan said the Anthony trial inspired her to research Alabama's missing children’s cases, and she found a need for the law.

“Those are the things we take for granted. We assume that someone is going to call,” Givan said. “That’s not always the case.”

Givan wanted to make Caylee Anthony’s death an example of what can happen when a child is not reported missing for several days. A recent Jefferson County child abduction ended positively, Givan said, when the child’s parents called police right away. Law enforcement was able to find the unharmed 2-year-old quickly, she said.

The law requires the guardian of a person from ages 1 to 18 to report if the child was abducted, lost or runs away as soon as the situation is discovered. Failure or delay to report the missing child is a Class A misdemeanor, according to the bill. If harm or death comes to the child because of delay or failure, the guardian will be charged with a Class C felony.

Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson said the county is fortunate not to have many cases of missing or abducted children. Amerson said he couldn’t recall a situation in which a child went missing from “evil intent.” When a Calhoun County child is reported missing, Amerson said, it’s usually resolved quickly because the child wandered away and was not abducted.

There are 10 missing children in Alabama whose cases are considered active, according to the Alabama Department of Public Safety website.

The sheriff said he applauds the legislators for passing this law because every minute is critical when a child is missing.

“It’s important we get this notification as soon as possible. If someone didn’t report a child missing that’s a highly suspicious event,” he said.

Amerson said if an abducted child is not recovered within 48 hours it’s unlikely they will be found alive.

Joe Nabors, director of the Calhoun-Cleburne Children’s Center, said there are parents who focus on their own needs and leave children in an unsafe environment or with unsafe people. Caylee’s law will protect those children, he said.

“It will cause parents to report immediately and that way we can search quicker,” he said.

Parents should always tell officers what the child was wearing, a description of the vehicle that took the child and what the child had planned for that day, Nabors said. The Calhoun-Cleburne Children’s Center provides help with missing children searches, Nabors said, by interviewing children who may have witnessed the abduction.

For instance, Nabors said, a 13-year-old may have planned to visit friends and didn’t tell their parents, but friends could provide details of those plans.

“I feel it’s a great law and I’m glad it’s been passed,” Nabors said. “I wish we didn’t need it.”

Read more: Anniston Star - New state law Parents who don t report missing children face charges

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