Kentucky lawmakers propose "Caylee's law"

FRANKFORT, Ky. - A proposal by two eastern Kentucky lawmakers would make it a felony not to report the disappearance of a child 12 or younger within 12 hours.

The bill is called "Caylee's law" for a 2-year-old Florida girl who died in 2008. Her disappearance was highly publicized through the Casey Anthony trial. Anthony, the mother of Caylee, did not report the toddler's disappearance for at least one month. The child's body was found in Dec. 2008, six months after her mother said she was kidnapped by a what was determined to be fictitious babysitter in June 2008.

Anthony was ultimately was found not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child, but was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.

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Democratic Reps. Richard Henderson of Jeffersonville and Keith Hall of Phelps said it would give prosecutors another tool to help police and prosecutors.

Republican Rep. Stan Lee of Lexington and Ernie Lewis, legislative agent for the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, raised questions about the wording of the bill at a House Judiciary Committee meeting Wednesday.

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Hall and Henderson said they would be willing to work with Lewis and others to strengthen the legislation and expect to reintroduce it next week.

[reality45]

It should be a federal crime to not report a child under 12 missing for more than one hour!!!

[meatrex1]

Leave it to Kentucky to attempt to pass a law as such; especially with all the hillbilly hereabouts in them parts of the country. They should of passed a law on common sense. Because those butt nutz on the jury for the Anthony case in Floriduh clearly don't have any. Hanging chads.......

[debbie1120]

The law should have been in effect long before anything happened. Since she was found not guilty due to lack of evidence, she should have been charged for child neglect or abandonment since she didn't report the child missing for a month. but then the grandparents should have been charged for that as well. how do you have your daughter and granddaughter live in your house and not notice that your granddaughter is missing. Can't happened!!

[retiredgustav]

Jesus was missing for 3 day before he was discovered teaching in the temple. This law would put Mary and Joseph in jail.

[Thinkbeforeyouwrite]

We cannot know who they talked to and how they went about trying to find him. For all we know, many people knew he was gone, perhaps even a person of authority, though I doubt the Romans would have cared any. The only person who know Caylee was missing was Casey.

[Jim1900]

1. He was 12.
2. They searched for him as soon as they realized he was missing.

Bad analogy.

[jqm199]

I think it should be a felony to name your child "Caylee".
Unless your ambition is for her to be the fastest white trash stripper in the trailer park. Then you get an exemption.

[DarkMatterMan]

reactionary nonsense. this would not have saved Caylee's life, nor would it have aided the state's case for murder.

It'll provide nothing except comforting illusion that you're protecting the children.