March 29, 2017 By Wallin & Klarich

Social media allows us to share the most compelling moments of our lives. All too often, those moments include fist fights and criminal activity. It’s almost impossible to see a fight in public without also seeing dozens of cellphones recording it while people shout “World Star!” Now, it seems that some young people may even think it’s “cool” to commit crimes on video.

For this reason, California lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it a crime to film or record violent crimes.

Jordan’s Law (AB 1542)

Assembly Bill 1542, which was introduced by Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Encino), proposes to make it a crime to record video of any violent felony.

The bill is being referred to as “Jordan’s Law” because it was proposed based on an incident involving 14-year-old Jordan Peisner. Jordan was punched in the head by an unprovoked teen in 2016. While the incident took place, a teenage female who had prior knowledge of the perpetrator’s planned attack recorded it and posted it on the social media app Snapchat.

Dababneh hopes Jordan’s Law will address an increase in violent attacks being conducted for the sole purpose of filming and sharing them on social media. At a news conference at Peisner’s school, Dababneh said that the crime was “no different than someone driving the getaway car in a bank robbery.”

Posting Fights on Social Media Could Be a Crime (PC 667.95)

If passed into law, AB 1542 would add Section 667.95 to the California Penal Code, making it illegal to willfully record a video or conspire with another person to record a video of a violent felony.

If you are the person committing the felony and you conspire with another person to have the act recorded, you face an additional one year added to the punishment you face for committing the violent crime. Say, for instance, that you’re accused of assault with a deadly weapon. A felony violation of this crime carries up to four years in prison, so you would face up to five years in prison if you conspired with someone to record the incident.

Furthermore, if you willfully work with the perpetrator to record a video of a violent felony, you face imprisonment for 16 months, 2 or 3 years and a $5,000 fine.

AB 1542 is not meant to target those who film crimes as innocent bystanders. The bill’s language is designed to protect those who record violent crimes that they see happening or knew were likely to happen. If you are falsely accused of violating this proposed law, you are authorized to submit your video to the police as evidence at the first reasonable opportunity.

Do you think this bill goes too far in punishing people who record crimes? Do you think that people who record violent felonies should face felony charges themselves? Let us know in the comments section below.

Contact the Criminal Defense Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich Today

If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime, you are facing serious consequences and it is important that you contact an experienced criminal defense attorney right away. At Wallin & Klarich, our skilled criminal defense lawyers have over 35 years of experience successfully defending our clients facing charges for serious felonies. Let us help you now.

With offices in Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Victorville, Los Angeles, West Covina, Torrance and San Diego, you can find an experienced Wallin & Klarich attorney available to help you no matter where you are located.

Call us now at (888) 280-6839 for a free phone consultation. We will be there when you call.

Sources:
http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20170303/jordans-law-aims-to-criminalize-cyber-bullying-after-attack-on-valley-teen

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB1542

Contact Us
  •   17592 Irvine Blvd,
      Tustin, CA 92780
  •   (714) 730-5300
  •   (888) 280-6839
SCHEDULE YOUR free consultation

If you or a loved one have been accused of a crime, this is the time to contact us.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2024 Wallin & Klarich - All rights reserved

California Criminal Defense Lawyer Disclaimer: The legal information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice, nor should it be considered the formation of a lawyer or attorney-client relationship. Any case results presented on the site are based upon the facts of a particular case and do not represent a promise or guarantee. The contents of this website may contain legal advertising. If you would like to find out more information about your particular legal matter, contact our office for a free telephonic consultation. This web site is not intended to solicit clients for matters outside of the state of California.