In the wake of the verdict in the Caylee Anthony trial, there was widespread public outrage. Part of this outrage predictably manifested itself in the calls of “there ought to be a law!” Sure enough, one Maryland legislator is proposing “Caylee’s Law,” which would impose criminal penalties on parents who don’t report if their child is missing or dead. While the emotion behind this law is understandable, this type of law may not be wise.
As a parent myself, I find Casey Anthony’s actions inconceivable. I have no opinion on the verdict since I didn’t follow the case. However, I generally think that legislation proposed in the aftermath of highly emotional incidents is usually a bad idea. Legislation should be the result of sustained deliberation that considers the variety of effects a law can have; it shouldn’t be the result of a knee-jerk reaction over a trial verdict one did not like.
I’m not sure what the proposed Maryland law says, but a proposed federal version of “Caylee’s Law” would mandate that a parent report a missing child within 24 hours and the death of a child within an hour. Libertarian journalist Radley Balko has a thoughtful article on the potential negative effects of this legislation:
Marc Kilmer is a Maryland Public Policy Institute senior fellow specializing in health care issues. Besides his work with MPPI, he also works with the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, a free market think tank in Ohio. Kilmer has a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Hillsdale College in Michigan and lives in Salisbury, Maryland, with his wife and daughter.
1 comment:
I agree with you. Caylee's Law should be a response not a reaction to the verdict. I did follow the trial and was outraged by the verdict. In my opinion I thought the prosecution proved their case, however, as stated by juror #3 the jurors needed the dots connected for them. In my opinion jurors need to be better educated about the law and charges presented. I commend you for your common sense approach and applaud you for not "reacting" on emotion.
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