Petition for "Caylee's Law"

[X-Era]

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."

Interesting proposal.

But in all legal cases, you must prove the crime. How do you prove that someone knew their child was missing and didn't report it?

Yes, obviously, if you can establish time of death you can then show when a person called or didn't call. But we never knew the time of death with Caylee.

31 days is ridiculous. She was out partying and that should speak volumes about what she knew or didn't know. I think she's guilty as hell, but the evidence wasn't there for a conviction. But here were talking about a new law. And you still have to prove she knew and didn't call.

[rbochan]

Oh dear god.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Can't you claim that you didn't know your child was missing?

[Ebenezer]

Define timely manner. How long does a child have to be missing before police will accept a missing person's report? Does anybody think this will stop somebody from killing there kid? How many times does a kid go missing and the parents don't report it within 24-48 hours?

[Static]

isn't this a bit of a knee-jerk reaction? how long have they thought about this?

[X-Era]

Define timely manner. How long does a child have to be missing before police will accept a missing person's report? Does anybody think this will stop somebody from killing there kid? How many times does a kid go missing and the parents don't report it within 24-48 hours?

Yeah. I think this really is someone trying to find a new way to punish someone like Casey.

[Ebenezer]

Yeah. I think this really is someone trying to find a new way to punish someone like Casey.

I think it's somebody with "blood-lust" that just can't accept that the prosecution couldn't prove their case.

[X-Era]

For the sake of discussion

One philosophical question could arise. Does society have any responsibility for keeping children safe? I mean do we, as a society, have some responsibility to protect kids from negligence/abuse/or even death?

What are we, as citizens, and what should our laws cover on protecting childrens safety and proper treatment?

Because on the surface 31 days without caring for your child and (allegedly) not knowing where that child was, is or ought to be unacceptable... and why shouldn't it be punishable by the law?

[YardRat]

For the sake of discussion

One philosophical question could arise. Does society have any responsibility for keeping children safe? I mean do we, as a society, have some responsibility to protect kids from negligence/abuse/or even death?

Because on the surface 31 days without caring for your child and (allegedly) not knowing where that child was is or ought to be unacceptable... and why shouldn't it be punishable by the law?

Obviously our society thinks so, otherwise child protection services wouldn't exist.

[Ebenezer]

For the sake of discussion

One philosophical question could arise. Does society have any responsibility for keeping children safe? I mean do we, as a society, have some responsibility to protect kids from negligence/abuse/or even death?

What are we, as citizens, and what should our laws cover on protecting childrens safety and proper treatment?

Because on the surface 31 days without caring for your child and (allegedly) not knowing where that child was, is or ought to be unacceptable... and why shouldn't it be punishable by the law?

I think I already asked the more important question. How many times does a kid go missing without the child being reported as missing within 24-48 hours and do you think the law will stop the parent from killing the kid and not reporting it as missing?

[X-Era]

I think I already asked the more important question. How many times does a kid go missing without the child being reported as missing within 24-48 hours and do you think the law will stop the parent from killing the kid and not reporting it as missing?

I get where you're coming from. Casey could have murdered the child regardless of this law. It's a separate issue I think. Yes, the person(s) proposing this are probably linking the two... I'm not.

a) I'm asking why a charge such as child neglect or abandonment could have not been applied to this case?

b) Should we have a law to prevent someone from ignoring that they have a child and are the primary caregiver for 31 days?

[Ebenezer]

I get where you're coming from. Casey could have murdered the child regardless of this law. It's a separate issue I think. Yes, the person(s) proposing this are probably linking the two... I'm not.

a) I'm asking why a charge such as child neglect or abandonment could have not been applied to this case?

b) Should we have a law to prevent someone from ignoring that they have a child and are the primary caregiver for 31 days?

a) it could have...the prosecution went for a home run.

b) how you going to enforce it? have a cop go door to door to make sure the kid still exists?

[X-Era]

a) it could have...the prosecution went for a home run.

b) how you going to enforce it? have a cop go door to door to make sure the kid still exists?

I think I found my own answer:

http://www.wesh.com/r/17769226/detail.html

Yeah, that's kind of my point, how would you a) prove it and b) enforce it.

[X-Era]

But there should be something to prevent someone from hiding the fact that they:

a) Are causing harm to their child
b) Are neglecting their child
c) Are abandoning their child
d) Know that their child has deceased

I mean were talking about someone, who is the primary caregiver, not personally caring for their child or knowingly allowing someone else to care for their child for 31 days... basically, I'm the mom, the 2 year old is gone, and I'm not notifying the authorities for 31 days.

[Ebenezer]

But there should be something to prevent someone from hiding the fact that they:

a) Are causing harm to their child
b) Are neglecting their child
c) Are abandoning their child
d) Know that their child has deceased

I mean were talking about someone, who is the primary caregiver, not personally caring for their child or knowingly allowing someone else to care for their child for 31 days... basically, I'm the mom, the 2 year old is gone, and I'm not notifying the authorities for 31 days.

When they are under 5? No way. What are your choices? Have the pediatrician call if there is no check-up? Have the mother bring the child to town hall on its birthday? Have a cop tuck the kid in every night? Talk about getting the gov't involved in our personal lives. After they are five they have to be enrolled in a school (whether it be public, private or home school). At that point the school could, legally, report that the child has not been in school (a child does need a valid excuse to return to school). Other than that? Forget it.

[DraftBoy]

This law exists already, this is called redundancy, and pointless.

[YardRat]

But there should be something to prevent someone from hiding the fact that they:

a) Are causing harm to their child
b) Are neglecting their child
c) Are abandoning their child
d) Know that their child has deceased

I mean were talking about someone, who is the primary caregiver, not personally caring for their child or knowingly allowing someone else to care for their child for 31 days... basically, I'm the mom, the 2 year old is gone, and I'm not notifying the authorities for 31 days.

http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/

[OpIv37]

"something bad happened and no one was punished. Please, Big Government, step in and pass a feel-good law to give the illusion that something is being done to prevent it from ever happening again. More laws. MORE!!!!"

[Ebenezer]

This law exists already, this is called redundancy, and pointless.

Did not know that.

[Discotrish]

So she can kill the kid and report her missing the next day. It still took them months to find the body.

Patti