10 Laws Named After Victims
advertisement
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Don Ekama
At least some good came out of these notorious crimes. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most specific pieces of legislation crafted to address unique crimes, each named after the victims they were meant to honor. Our countdown of laws named for victims includes The Coogan Act, Jessica's Law, AMBER Alert, and more!
Top 10 Laws Named for Victims
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most specific pieces of legislation crafted to address unique crimes, each named after the victims they were meant to honor.
Also known as the California Child Actor's Bill, the Coogan Act was enacted in 1939 to protect young performers. The bill requires that 15% of a child actor’s earnings be placed in a trust fund, called a Coogan Account. This was done to prevent the youngsters from suffering the same fate as Jackie Coogan, whom the bill is named after. Widely regarded as one of the first child stars in Hollywood, Coogan made millions in his early career, only to discover in adulthood that his mother and stepfather had squandered nearly everything. Although he took them to court, he only recovered a small fraction. Since it was originally passed, the Coogan Act has been revised to include child social media influencers.
In 1999, a young writer named Kendra Webdale met a tragic demise after being pushed in front of an oncoming train at a Manhattan subway station. Her attacker, Andrew Goldstein, was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia but was off his medication and had recently been denied treatment. While Webdale’s family sought justice for her death, they also aimed to prevent similar situations by tackling the root cause. Working with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, they supported the passage of Kendra’s Law in New York. This law allows courts to mandate assisted outpatient treatment for individuals with mental illnesses. Although non-compliance isn’t a criminal offense, Kendra’s Law has been shown to reduce a patient’s risk of violence, self-harm and hospitalization.
On December 1st 2013, Kari Hunt Dunn took her three daughters to visit her estranged husband, Brad, at a motel. Dunn was in the process of ending their 10-year marriage and had already begun a new relationship. While in the motel room, Brad stabbed her multiple times, as their children listened in horror. The eldest daughter tried to call 911 but couldn’t, as she was unaware that the motel phone required her to first dial nine to reach an outside line. This tragedy led legislators to propose Kari’s Law, which requires businesses with multi-line telephone systems to allow direct dialing to 911. It was first enacted in the state of Texas, before becoming federal law in 2018.
Ronald Reagan survived the 1981 attempt on his life without any long-term injuries, but others weren’t as fortunate. His press secretary, James Brady, was struck by a bullet that left him partially paralyzed and reliant on a wheelchair. Following the incident, Brady became a gun control advocate, pushing for the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which was named after him. Signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1994, the act introduced a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases to allow for background checks. It also prohibited the sale of firearms to convicted felons and individuals with mental illnesses. After the National Instant Criminal Background Check System was implemented in 1998, the act was amended to eliminate the waiting period.
The death of Caylee Anthony resulted in one of the most infamous criminal trials in modern history. Her mother, Casey Anthony, was charged with first-degree murder after it was revealed that she had failed to report her daughter’s disappearance for 31 days. Although Casey was ultimately acquitted, the trial prompted several U.S. states to propose bills making it a felony for parents or guardians to fail to report a child’s disappearance. These bills, known as Caylee’s Law, have been enacted in around 10 states, including Alabama, Illinois, New Jersey and Florida, where the Anthonys resided. Critics however argue that the laws may harm innocent parents, and would do little to deter those who actually murder their children.
Back in the early 1980s, HIV was largely misunderstood and widely believed to only affect the gay community. That perception shifted dramatically because of Ryan White. A teenager with a blood disorder, White contracted HIV in 1984 from a contaminated blood transfusion. His diagnosis led to him being banned from school over fears he could infect others. He and his family also faced widespread discrimination in their Indiana town. Despite this, White became a national advocate for HIV awareness. After his death from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1990, Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. This act provides substantial funding for HIV/AIDS programs, and is estimated to have saved over 50,000 lives.
The popular crime TV show “America's Most Wanted” first premiered in 1988, hosted by anti-crime activist John Walsh. Walsh’s involvement in the fight against crime was the result of a deeply personal tragedy. His son, Adam, was abducted from a Florida mall in 1981 and remained missing until his remains were found two weeks later. Driven by this loss, Walsh and his wife Revé[c] dedicated themselves to preventing other families from suffering a similar fate. Their efforts led to the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in 2006. This law created a nationalized sex offender registry, increased funding for tracking offenders and imposed harsher penalties for crimes against children.
First passed in Florida in 2005, Jessica’s Law has since been introduced in over 40 states, although it was never implemented at the federal level. Its name comes from Jessica Lunsford, a Florida girl who was abducted from her home, sexually assaulted and murdered by John Couey, a convicted sex offender. Couey was ultimately sentenced to death, though he died of natural causes while on death row. The case sparked immense public outrage and led officials in Florida to introduce Jessica’s Law, which imposes stricter penalties for certain sexual crimes committed against young children. The law was quickly signed by then Governor Jeb Bush and mandates lifelong electronic monitoring for offenders who violate it.
On July 29th 1994, Megan Kanka, a girl from New Jersey was lured into the home of her neighbor, Jesse Timmendequas, where he sexually assaulted and murdered her. Timmendequas had two prior convictions for similar crimes, although in those cases the victims survived. One month after Kanka’s murder, Paul Kramer, a New Jersey Assemblyman sponsored Megan’s Law, mandating law enforcement officials to notify local residents of registered sex offenders in their communities. This law expanded on the Wetterling Act, named after Jacob Wetterling, which required sex offenders to register with local police. In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed a federal version of Megan’s Law, allowing state officials to decide what information to make public.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Today, AMBER alerts are quite common. They are used to alert the public whenever a child is reported missing. This system might never have existed if not for Amber Rene Hagerman. In 1996, while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas, Hagerman was abducted and later murdered. An eyewitness called 911, but despite a swift police response, Hagerman’s body was found four days later in a nearby creek. The case remains unsolved. Her tragic death led to the creation of the AMBER alert system, which was named in her honor, and designed to maximize public awareness through radio, TV, text messages and digital platforms. The goal is to increase the chances of finding missing children within the critical early hours after abduction.
What other infamous crime cases have inspired laws around the world? Let us know in the comments below.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the most specific pieces of legislation crafted to address unique crimes, each named after the victims they were meant to honor.
The Coogan Act
Named After: Jackie CooganAlso known as the California Child Actor's Bill, the Coogan Act was enacted in 1939 to protect young performers. The bill requires that 15% of a child actor’s earnings be placed in a trust fund, called a Coogan Account. This was done to prevent the youngsters from suffering the same fate as Jackie Coogan, whom the bill is named after. Widely regarded as one of the first child stars in Hollywood, Coogan made millions in his early career, only to discover in adulthood that his mother and stepfather had squandered nearly everything. Although he took them to court, he only recovered a small fraction. Since it was originally passed, the Coogan Act has been revised to include child social media influencers.
Kendra’s Law
Named After: Kendra Webdale[a]In 1999, a young writer named Kendra Webdale met a tragic demise after being pushed in front of an oncoming train at a Manhattan subway station. Her attacker, Andrew Goldstein, was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia but was off his medication and had recently been denied treatment. While Webdale’s family sought justice for her death, they also aimed to prevent similar situations by tackling the root cause. Working with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, they supported the passage of Kendra’s Law in New York. This law allows courts to mandate assisted outpatient treatment for individuals with mental illnesses. Although non-compliance isn’t a criminal offense, Kendra’s Law has been shown to reduce a patient’s risk of violence, self-harm and hospitalization.
Kari’s Law
Named After: Kari Hunt Dunn[b]On December 1st 2013, Kari Hunt Dunn took her three daughters to visit her estranged husband, Brad, at a motel. Dunn was in the process of ending their 10-year marriage and had already begun a new relationship. While in the motel room, Brad stabbed her multiple times, as their children listened in horror. The eldest daughter tried to call 911 but couldn’t, as she was unaware that the motel phone required her to first dial nine to reach an outside line. This tragedy led legislators to propose Kari’s Law, which requires businesses with multi-line telephone systems to allow direct dialing to 911. It was first enacted in the state of Texas, before becoming federal law in 2018.
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
Named After: James BradyRonald Reagan survived the 1981 attempt on his life without any long-term injuries, but others weren’t as fortunate. His press secretary, James Brady, was struck by a bullet that left him partially paralyzed and reliant on a wheelchair. Following the incident, Brady became a gun control advocate, pushing for the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which was named after him. Signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1994, the act introduced a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases to allow for background checks. It also prohibited the sale of firearms to convicted felons and individuals with mental illnesses. After the National Instant Criminal Background Check System was implemented in 1998, the act was amended to eliminate the waiting period.
Caylee’s Law
Named After: Caylee AnthonyThe death of Caylee Anthony resulted in one of the most infamous criminal trials in modern history. Her mother, Casey Anthony, was charged with first-degree murder after it was revealed that she had failed to report her daughter’s disappearance for 31 days. Although Casey was ultimately acquitted, the trial prompted several U.S. states to propose bills making it a felony for parents or guardians to fail to report a child’s disappearance. These bills, known as Caylee’s Law, have been enacted in around 10 states, including Alabama, Illinois, New Jersey and Florida, where the Anthonys resided. Critics however argue that the laws may harm innocent parents, and would do little to deter those who actually murder their children.
The Ryan White CARE Act
Named After: Ryan WhiteBack in the early 1980s, HIV was largely misunderstood and widely believed to only affect the gay community. That perception shifted dramatically because of Ryan White. A teenager with a blood disorder, White contracted HIV in 1984 from a contaminated blood transfusion. His diagnosis led to him being banned from school over fears he could infect others. He and his family also faced widespread discrimination in their Indiana town. Despite this, White became a national advocate for HIV awareness. After his death from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1990, Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. This act provides substantial funding for HIV/AIDS programs, and is estimated to have saved over 50,000 lives.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act
Named After: Adam WalshThe popular crime TV show “America's Most Wanted” first premiered in 1988, hosted by anti-crime activist John Walsh. Walsh’s involvement in the fight against crime was the result of a deeply personal tragedy. His son, Adam, was abducted from a Florida mall in 1981 and remained missing until his remains were found two weeks later. Driven by this loss, Walsh and his wife Revé[c] dedicated themselves to preventing other families from suffering a similar fate. Their efforts led to the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in 2006. This law created a nationalized sex offender registry, increased funding for tracking offenders and imposed harsher penalties for crimes against children.
Jessica’s Law
Named After: Jessica Lunsford[d]First passed in Florida in 2005, Jessica’s Law has since been introduced in over 40 states, although it was never implemented at the federal level. Its name comes from Jessica Lunsford, a Florida girl who was abducted from her home, sexually assaulted and murdered by John Couey, a convicted sex offender. Couey was ultimately sentenced to death, though he died of natural causes while on death row. The case sparked immense public outrage and led officials in Florida to introduce Jessica’s Law, which imposes stricter penalties for certain sexual crimes committed against young children. The law was quickly signed by then Governor Jeb Bush and mandates lifelong electronic monitoring for offenders who violate it.
Megan's Law
Named After: Megan Kanka[e]On July 29th 1994, Megan Kanka, a girl from New Jersey was lured into the home of her neighbor, Jesse Timmendequas, where he sexually assaulted and murdered her. Timmendequas had two prior convictions for similar crimes, although in those cases the victims survived. One month after Kanka’s murder, Paul Kramer, a New Jersey Assemblyman sponsored Megan’s Law, mandating law enforcement officials to notify local residents of registered sex offenders in their communities. This law expanded on the Wetterling Act, named after Jacob Wetterling, which required sex offenders to register with local police. In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed a federal version of Megan’s Law, allowing state officials to decide what information to make public.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Lindbergh Law
The Lindbergh Case Made Interstate Transport of Kidnapping Victims a Federal CrimeLauren’s Law
Lauren Laman’s Death Led to Mandatory CPR & AED Training for Students & FacultyEmmett Till Antilynching Act
The 1955 Lynching of Emmett Till Prompted Congress to Classify It as a Federal Hate CrimeMatthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
Made Attacks Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, or Disability Federal Hate CrimesKayden’s Law
Revised Pennsylvania Custody Laws After Kayden Mancuso[f]’s Murder by Her Own FatherAMBER Alert
Named After: Amber Rene HagermanToday, AMBER alerts are quite common. They are used to alert the public whenever a child is reported missing. This system might never have existed if not for Amber Rene Hagerman. In 1996, while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas, Hagerman was abducted and later murdered. An eyewitness called 911, but despite a swift police response, Hagerman’s body was found four days later in a nearby creek. The case remains unsolved. Her tragic death led to the creation of the AMBER alert system, which was named in her honor, and designed to maximize public awareness through radio, TV, text messages and digital platforms. The goal is to increase the chances of finding missing children within the critical early hours after abduction.
What other infamous crime cases have inspired laws around the world? Let us know in the comments below.
Sign in
to access this feature