The Lindbergh Law
On the evening of March 1, 1932, famous aviator Charles Lindbergh was at home with his family. At some point, someone crept in through a second-story window and abducted his young son, Charles Jr. Poor Charles Jr. was later found murdered. A lengthy investigation turned up Bruno Richard Hauptmann, who was executed for the crime even though he never confessed.
Public outrage at the Lindbergh case was overwhelming. Lindbergh was a hero, being the first man to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. The gruesome treatment of John Jr., who was only 18 months old, further enraged the populace. Because of this incident, Congress swiftly passed the Lindbergh Law which made kidnapping a Federal crime when the victim is brought across state lines.
Jessicas Law
In February of 2005, nine year old Jessica Lunsford was abducted, raped and killed in Florida. It didnt take police long to find their killer: convicted sex offender John Couey was living with his half-sister in a nearby trailer. In spite of his long record for sex crimes, Couey was not known to neighbors as a sex offender and in fact was registered as living miles away.
The sickening crime outraged many in Florida and around the nation. Florida swiftly passed women that want to make love Jessicas Law which requires stiffer crimes for sex offenders, increased sharing of sex offender databases, and stepping up registration and monitoring sex offenders out on parole. Almost every state in the United States has passed a version of Jessicas Law.
The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
On June 7, 1998, African-American James Byrd Jr. was murdered by three white supremacists in Jasper, Texas. Only a few months later in October, college student Matthew Shepard was tortured and murdered in Laramie, Wyoming, because he had told two acquaintances he was gay. At the time, many states (including Texas) did not have laws identifying such crimes as hate crimes, and Wyomings hate crimes law did not include homosexuals. In both cases, the killers were convicted of simple murder charges (although all of them have either been executed or are serving life in prison).
The Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) makes hate crimes a federal crime and provides resources for investigators on every level from local to federal. In a nutshell, it makes perpetrators of hate crimes far more likely to be caught and punished.
Megans Law
On July 29, 1994, seven year old Megan Kanka was assaulted and murdered by her neighbor, Jesse K. Timmendequas in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. Parents in the area had no idea that Timmendequas was a two-time sex offender with a horrific record. Led by Megans parents, the local community expressed its outrage, and just a few months later New Jersey became the first state to pass a version of Megans Law.
Megans Law is a general term describing a variety of laws at the state and federal level across the USA. They differ slightly from state to state, but they all are founded on the same principle: members of the community need to know when a dangerous sex offender is living nearby. In general, it releases information such as the offenders name, address, photo, dates of incarceration and crime. This information is released in newspapers, pamphlets and often online.
The Brady Bill
Officially the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act, the Brady Bill is named for presidential press secretary James Brady, who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. in a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. Brady was badly injured and permanently handicapped as a result.
The Brady Bill requires federal background checks for those who wish to purchase firearms anywhere in the USA. There are many things that can prohibit someone from obtaining a firearm, including conviction of a crime which is punishable by more than a year in prison or previous admission to a mental institution. Hinckley would not have been able to purchase the firearm he used had the Brady Bill already been enacted.
Other Laws
There are many other instances of laws being named after victims, including Jennas Law (eliminates parole for certain violent offenders), Busters Law (animal cruelty made a felony, named after a cat) and Kathys Law (makes it a crime to endanger the welfare of the elderly or disabled).
