Last week the Suffolk County legislature enacted a version of “Caylee’s Law”, which requires parents to notify authorities of a missing child within 24 hours. The law is named for 2-year-old Caylee Anthony, the Florida girl who was found dead in 2008.
Her mother, Casey Anthony, was acquitted of her murder. As a result of the controversial jury verdict, “Caylee’s Law” legislation was immediately proposed in at least four states.
Under the new law, parents who fail to notify authorities that their child is missing within 24 hours face a $1000 fine and up to one year in jail.
Legislator Jon Cooper, who proposed the legislation, admits that the law won’t prevent a child from being killed.
The law itself is controversial. Issues such as determining how to calculate the 24 hour time period for purposes of prosecution may make implementation of the new law difficult. Read this article for more information on the potential problems with this law.
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