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.
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00:00Someday, no one will have to face the anguish they have undergone.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most specific pieces of legislation
00:09crafted to address unique crimes, each named after the victims they were meant to honor.
00:13But maybe for sure she would answer me, but there was never no answer.
00:20The Coogan Act, named after Jackie Coogan.
00:23Also known as the California Child Actors Bill,
00:25the Coogan Act was enacted in 1939 to protect young performers.
00:30So when you turn 18, the child actor can come up here and get the money that they are entitled to.
00:37This helps protect them.
00:39The bill requires that 15% of a child actor's earnings be placed in a trust fund, called a Coogan account.
00:45This was done to prevent the youngsters from suffering the same fate as Jackie Coogan, whom the bill is named after.
00:50Widely regarded as one of the first child stars in Hollywood, Coogan made millions in his early career,
00:55only to discover in adulthood that his mother and stepfather had squandered nearly everything.
00:59Next thing you know, all the money's gone.
01:02Although he took them to court, he only recovered a small fraction.
01:05Since it was originally passed, the Coogan Act has been revised to include child social media influencers.
01:11This basically just protects and compensates them so that when they turn 18, they can receive portions of the money and the ability to be able to say,
01:22you know what, I want to take my image off of the internet and, you know, kind of be forgotten.
01:30Kendra's Law
01:31Named after Kendra Webdale
01:33In 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.
01:41Her attacker, Andrew Goldstein, was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia, but was off his medication and had recently been denied treatment.
01:48Goldstein was ultimately sentenced to 23 years in prison with time off for good behavior.
01:52While Webdale's family sought justice for her death, they also aimed to prevent similar situations by tackling the root cause.
02:00Working with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, they supported the passage of Kendra's Law in New York.
02:05This law allows courts to mandate assisted outpatient treatment for individuals with mental illnesses.
02:10The court approves a treatment program for the patient, and then you're assigned a case manager or a team to manage your case.
02:19Although 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.
02:28In death, she inspired us to work for a law that will improve and perhaps save the lives of others.
02:33Carrie's Law
02:34Named after Carrie Hunt Dunn
02:36On December 1, 2013, Carrie Hunt Dunn took her three daughters to visit her estranged husband Brad at a motel.
02:43Dunn was in the process of ending their 10-year marriage and had already begun a new relationship.
02:47While in the motel room, Brad stabbed her multiple times, as their children listened in horror.
02:53The eldest daughter tried to call 911, but couldn't, as she was unaware that the motel phone required her to first dial 9 to reach an outside line.
03:00Dunn's father, Hank Hunt, knows his granddaughter did exactly what she was taught, what we're all taught.
03:07If you ever need help, dial 911, and that's what she did, and we let her down.
03:10This tragedy led legislators to propose Carrie's Law, which requires businesses with multi-line telephone systems to allow direct dialing to 911.
03:19The American Hotel and Lodging Association conducted a survey and found 45% of franchised hotels did not require an access code for 911.
03:27Among smaller, independent hotels, that number is even lower, just 32%.
03:31It was first enacted in the state of Texas before becoming federal law in 2018.
03:37Law requires direct 911 dialing from multi-line telephone systems like the ones in hotels and offices where you would normally have to dial another number first to get an outside line.
03:48The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, named after James Brady.
03:53Ronald Reagan survived the 1981 attempt on his life without any long-term injuries, but others were not as fortunate.
03:59I'd like to say a few words directly to all of you and to those who are watching and listening tonight.
04:08Because this is the only way I know to express to all of you on behalf of Nancy and myself our appreciation for your messages, your flowers, and most of all, your prayers.
04:23His press secretary, James Brady, was struck by a bullet that left him with partial paralysis and using a wheelchair.
04:28Following the incident, Brady became a gun control advocate, pushing for the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which was named after him.
04:36More guns means more violence.
04:39More violence means more carnage.
04:41More people in one of these things and walking around with a stick.
04:44Signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1994, the act introduced a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases to allow for background checks.
04:52It also prohibited the sale of firearms to convicted felons and individuals with mental illnesses.
04:57Today, we know that someone was listening.
05:02After nearly seven years, the Brady Bill is about to become the Brady Law.
05:08After the National Instant Criminal Background Check System was implemented in 1998, the act was amended to eliminate the waiting period.
05:15Cayley's Law, named after Cayley Anthony.
05:18The death of Cayley Anthony resulted in one of the most infamous criminal trials in modern history.
05:23The trial of Cayley Anthony produced tears, shock, and anger.
05:28How about our new law?
05:29Her mother, Cayley Anthony, was charged with first-degree murder after it was revealed that she had failed to report her daughter's disappearance for 31 days.
05:36Although Cayley 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.
05:45Most parents don't need to hear this message, but it's clear that some do, and that is when a child's life is in danger, they're missing.
05:54Let's get on it.
05:55Let's report it.
05:56So there's that.
05:57These bills, known as Cayley's Law, have been enacted in around 10 states, including Alabama, Illinois, New Jersey, and Florida, where the Anthony's resided.
06:06Critics, however, argue that the laws may harm innocent parents and would do little to deter those who actually murder their children.
06:13Well, what actually prompted it, Nancy, was the fact that she's only been convicted of lying to the police.
06:20The Ryan White Care Act, named after Ryan White.
06:23Back in the early 1980s, HIV was largely misunderstood and widely believed to only affect the gay community.
06:30That perception shifted dramatically because of Ryan White.
06:33Knowledge about the disease then was low, while fear was high.
06:36A teenager with a blood disorder, White contracted HIV in 1984 from a contaminated blood transfusion.
06:43His diagnosis led to him being banned from school over fears he could infect others.
06:47He and his family also faced widespread discrimination in their Indiana town.
06:51I wanted to go to school and be like everybody else.
06:55Because, you know, it's so fun sitting at home all night.
06:59Despite this, White became a national advocate for HIV awareness.
07:04I said, Ryan, how do you do it?
07:05How do you keep from getting so nervous?
07:08He said, Mom, let me give you some advice.
07:09He said, just don't try to use those big fancy words.
07:12And he said, you'll be okay.
07:14After his death from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1990,
07:17Congress passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency, or CARE, Act.
07:22This act provides substantial funding for HIV AIDS programs and is estimated to have saved over 50,000 lives.
07:29We need to be and share our stories and be able to communicate with people the sadness and the sorrow,
07:36but also the joy that maybe nobody has to live with us again.
07:40The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
07:43Named after Adam Walsh, the popular crime TV show America's Most Wanted first premiered in 1988,
07:49hosted by anti-crime activist John Walsh.
07:51Walsh's involvement in the fight against crime was the result of a deeply personal tragedy.
07:55We haven't really concerned ourselves with vengeance.
07:58I think that is something that eats you up.
08:01His son Adam was abducted from a Florida mall in 1981 and remained missing until his remains were found two weeks later.
08:07Driven by this loss, Walsh and his wife Revae dedicated themselves to preventing other families from suffering a similar fate.
08:14It's very rewarding to see, you know, your accomplishments finally come to light,
08:19but it'll never erase the loss that we've experienced.
08:22Their efforts led to the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in 2006.
08:26This law created a nationalized sex offender registry, increased funding for tracking offenders,
08:32and imposed harsher penalties for crimes against children.
08:35And ultimately that led to what we have today where we receive these notifications on our phones,
08:41and we receive more information on street signs and through the lottery.
08:46Jessica's Law.
08:47Named after Jessica Lunsford.
08:49First passed in Florida in 2005, Jessica's Law has since been introduced in over 40 states,
08:54although it was never implemented at the federal level.
08:57So it meant a lot for her father and for the townspeople to have the governor come here and sign the bill that bears her name.
09:04Its name comes from Jessica Lunsford, a Florida girl who was abducted from her home,
09:09sexually assaulted and murdered by John Cooey, a convicted sex offender.
09:13Cooey was ultimately sentenced to death, though he died of natural causes while on death row.
09:18What was the first thing that crossed your mind when they told you you'd passed away?
09:21But I wish I would have been there so I could have watched him take his last breath.
09:26The case sparked immense public outrage and led officials in Florida to introduce Jessica's Law,
09:32which imposes stricter penalties for certain sexual crimes committed against young children.
09:36Now 20 years later, this Tree of Life plaque hangs in the lobby of the Citrus County Sheriff's Office in honor of Jessica.
09:42The law was quickly signed by then-Governor Jeb Bush
09:45and mandates lifelong electronic monitoring for offenders who violate it.
09:49Megan's Law
09:49Named after Megan Kanka
09:51On July 29, 1994, Megan Kanka, a girl from New Jersey, was lured into the home of her neighbor,
09:58Jesse Timendaquas, where he sexually assaulted and murdered her.
10:01Where the house once stood, a park was built in Megan Kanka's memory.
10:06Timendaquas had two prior convictions for similar crimes, although in those cases, the victims survived.
10:11One month after Kanka's murder, Paul Kramer, a New Jersey assemblyman, sponsored Megan's Law,
10:17mandating law enforcement officials to notify local residents of registered sex offenders in their communities.
10:22Anybody who's convicted, their name, their picture, their address, and other items tying them to their identity is available for the public.
10:32This law expanded on the Wetterling Act, named after Jacob Wetterling, which required sex offenders to register with local police.
10:39In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed a federal version of Megan's Law, allowing state officials to decide what information to make public.
10:47The law that bears the name of one child is now for every child, for every parent, and every family.
10:55Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
10:59The Lindbergh Law.
11:00The Lindbergh case made interstate transport of kidnapping victims a federal crime.
11:05Hauptmann is found guilty and sentenced to death.
11:09Lauren's Law.
11:10Lauren Lehman's death led to mandatory CPR and AED training for students and faculty.
11:16I did lose my daughter, Lauren, in 2008.
11:21But the thing is, I got an opportunity to get a new heart and a new lease on life.
11:26The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act.
11:28The 1955 lynching of Emmett Till prompted Congress to classify it as a federal hate crime.
11:34The law is not just about the past.
11:36It's about the present.
11:37The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act made a tax based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability federal hate crimes.
11:47We can be proud that the bell rings even louder now, and each day grows louder still.
11:54Caden's Law.
11:55Revised Pennsylvania custody laws after Caden Mancuso's murder by her own father.
11:59Not one person in his family could go in front of a judge and swear on a Bible and say, he's a great father.
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12:21Amber Alert
12:23Named after Amber Renee Hagerman.
12:26Today, Amber Alerts are quite common.
12:28They're used to alert the public whenever a child is reported missing.
12:32You see it pop up on your phone.
12:34You hear the noise.
12:35This system might never have existed if not for Amber Renee Hagerman.
12:39In 1996, while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas, Hagerman was abducted and later murdered.
12:45An eyewitness called 911, but despite a swift police response, Hagerman's body was found four days later in a nearby creek.
12:52The case remains unsolved.
12:54Police worked tirelessly, but over time, no one was caught.
12:58Her tragic death led to the creation of the Amber Alert system, which was named in her honor,
13:03and designed to maximize public awareness through radio, TV, text messages, and digital platforms.
13:09The goal is to increase the chances of finding missing children within the critical early hours after abduction.
13:16I would never, ever want another mother to go through what I had gone through, or another child be taken away.
13:24What other infamous crime cases have inspired laws around the world?
13:28Let us know in the comments below.
13:29We said we need to move, and we need to move quickly.
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