By Paul DeMarco
Both Alabama and the Nation have followed the case of Carlee Russell, the Hoover woman who has now been charged with deceiving the public and police by alleging she had been kidnapped.
Hoover Police arrested her for two misdemeanor counts of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident. Both are Class A misdemeanors punishable by not more than one year in jail and a fine of up to $6.000.
Attorney General Steve Marshall’S office will be prosecuting Russell and will be seeking restitution to those that expended resources to search for her when she called 911 and it was feared that she had been abducted. But there is more to the story that has to be uncovered, and more importantly Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis wants the penalties for the false reporting of a crime increased by state lawmakers.
Alabama State Representatives and Senators should sit down with the Police Chief and Attorney General to determine how to enhance the criminal statutes to stiffen the penalties for those who misrepresent alleged crimes to public safety. The entire episode has the public frustrated and wanting a strong law to deter this from happening again.
The next Alabama legislative session will be in six months in February of 2024, but it is not too early to have a bill drafted and pre-filed. There should be bi-partisan support to pass such a new law in Alabama based on recent events.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on Twitter at @Paul_DeMarco