During the past 10 years, one event that had the nation stunned was the missing two year old child Caylee Antony from Orlando, Florida. On July of 2008, Caylee’s grandmother called 911 to report that her granddaughter was missing and she believed her daughter’s car smelled like “death.” Police immediately became involved and interviewed Casey Anthony who led detectives through a web of lies and false statements. Ultimately admitting that she had not seen her daughter for several weeks. By December 2008 the skeletal remains of Caylee’s body were located in a wooded area near the Anthony home. Casey Anthony was arrested for first degree murder and one of the most televised trials of this century began to unfold before the world. The dramatic …show more content…
In fact, in some states like Louisiana there is no law that addresses this issue. Caylee’s Law initial took form in the state of Florida as reaction to the trial. Policymakers decided to address the gap in the law making it a felony if a parent or legal guardian fails to report the death or disappearance of their child. Moreover, the state of New Jersey enhanced Casey’s Law to require that a parent, legal guardian, or custodian of a child under 14 years old to report the child’s disappearance within 24 hours of realizing the kid is missing. If one fails to do so a crime of a felony in the 4th degree that is punishable by 18 months in prison and up to $10,000. Additionally, the law in New Jersey changed from a misdemeanor to a felony for an individual who fails or refuses to notify law enforcement of any death (Randall, 2012).
It would appear that a law of such nature would be unnecessary and that the public would simply contact law enforcement when some tragedy takes place. However, as the world learned with the Casey Anthony trial life is not that simple. The Casey Antony trial brought to light the reality that not all individuals want to cooperate with authorities and therefore, laws should be in place to protect those who cannot protect themselves including their parents. Many have argued that the law violates an individual’s right against self-incrimination, however, someone has to stand for the