As the trial of the decade regarding Casey Anthony’s alleged murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee concluded with a shocking ‘not guilty’ on all accounts other than four accounts of lying to police officials, people across the country lashed out in outrage and demanded some form of action for Caylee.
It took Casey Anthony 31 days to report Caylee’s disappearance. As a result, when the police finally located the body of Caylee months later, her body was so badly decomposed that investigators were unable to determine cause of death. As a result a multitude of people across the country have raised questions about the functionality of our justice system.
According to Huffington Post, activist Michelle Crowder is now pushing for “Caylee’s Law,” to be passed. The proposed federal bill would charge parents with a felony if they fail to report a missing child within 24 hours, or if they fail to report the death of a child within one hour. The proposed bill already has nearly 700,000 signatures.
However, many speculators suggest that the bill is unlikely to pass on the federal level because of reasons of constitutionality and practicality. Many people also argue that there are valid reasons why someone may fail to report a child missing or deceased, especially in the limited timeframe offered up in “Caylee’s Law.”
According to the Associated Press, at least sixteen state legislatures are no considering some version of the law. States on board with some form of the law include: Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
During an interview with CNN, Crowder admitted that she created the proposed bill without contacting a single law enforcement official. Many argue this is not the way to create public policy. However the support for a bill regarding this issue is apparently much needed and desired across the nation.
