Bad Samaritan

The Bad Samaritan: Witness Responsibility Act

It is the law in California that if you witness a rape, a murder, or an assault on a child under 14, you must report that crime, or face criminal penalties. It is a bad law, difficult to prosecute, draconian in its ability to force us to police each other, the last stage of the police state mentality. Currently, it only applies to those laws listed and for children 14 or under, but nothing stops it from getting broader.

So, it gets broader.

Grandstanding candidate for California attorney general, currently assembly person Pedro Nava, D- Santa Barbara has proposed the Witness Responsibility Act, which closes the age loophole and adds penalties. Now, if you witness a crime against any person of any age, and don’t get involved, you could face 6 months in jail.

The decision to report a crime is a personal one, and it needs to be based on the circumstances. At a time when cops don’t respond to many crimes, how will the witnesses be protected? What if there is no witness to their revenge murder to prosecute?

In a state where truly bad laws spawn like maggots on a road kill doe, this law stands out as a horrendous idea. It might seem like a no brainer to "call the cops" if you witness a crime, but it isn’t. It is, however, a witless and un-American idea to force us all to be cops.

One thing you might do is NOT VOTE for Nava for AG.