After Casey Anthony Verdict, State Lawmaker Drafts "Caylee's Law"

Casey Anthony may walk away with little punishment stemming from the strange death of her daughter Caylee after yesterday's stunning verdict, but the case may still have legal repercussions in Florida. State Representative Bill Hager, a Republican from Boca Raton, has announced that he will file a bill dubbed "Caylee's Law" during...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

July 6, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Casey Anthony may walk away with little punishment stemming from the strange death of her daughter Caylee after yesterday's stunning verdict, but the case may still have legal repercussions in Florida. State Representative Bill Hager, a Republican from Boca Raton, has announced that he will file a bill dubbed "Caylee's Law" during next year's legislative session. The law would make it a felony for parents or legal guardians not to call police when a child goes missing.

"What we witnessed in the case of two year old Caylee Anthony was truly tragic," Hager told CapitolSoup.com. "Placing a law on the books requiring parents and guardians to report missing children who are in significant danger in a timely manner will ensure that parents are held accountable for their actions. It will also assure that we put justice on the side of those among us who are most vulnerable. And finally, it will put an end to the kind of irresponsible and outrageous behavior we observed with Caylee's mother."

Casey Anthony had never reported Caylee missing. Caylee's grandmother first reported that the child was missing 31 days after she had last seen her.

Police agree that in cases of missing children, the immediate hours after the disappearance are the most critical, but police can't do anything if they don't actually know the child is missing.

[Capitol Soup via The Pulp]

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.