FindLaw Blotter

Taleek Brooks Made Child Porn at NY School: FBI

2012-02-09T12:03:49Z

A Brooklyn teacher's aide faces more federal charges in connection with a growing child-pornography scandal. Taleek Brooks made child-porn videos with students, possibly at Public School 243 where he worked, prosecutors allege.

Brooks, 40, was charged last month with possession and distribution of child pornography, The New York Times reports. He was arrested again Monday after investigators found some allegedly abusive videos at his home.

The videos show Brooks touching a young boy's genitals and spanking a naked child at P.S. 243 in Crown Heights, The Times reports. Parents are shocked.

"He's a good person. I don't believe it," one P.S. 243 parent told The Times. Taleek Brooks was well-liked, and even accompanied children on outings, parents said.

An FBI investigation of a file-sharing program led authorities to Brooks' alleged collection of more than 1,000 child-porn files, The Times reports. Brooks was released on $100,000 bail last month; he was also suspended from his job.

In court on Tuesday, the judge who set Brooks' bail lamented setting him free. "Had the evidence been before me a month ago showing he was a predator, there was no way I would have released him on any bail package," the judge said, according to The Times.

Child pornography is illegal under federal law, which calls for criminal penalties. Another federal law, the Crime Victims' Rights Act, allows a court to make pornographers pay restitution to child victims, if their actions caused harm to the children.

Taleek Brooks remains in custody without bail. If convicted, Brooks faces up to 10 years in prison for possessing child pornography. He may also face mandatory sentences of five years for distributing child porn, and 15 years for allegedly producing the videos at P.S. 243.

Related Resources:

FBI agents show up at PS 243 to investigate teacher's aide (New York Daily News)
Child Pornography (FindLaw)
The New Crime Victims' Rights Act: Empowering Victims Without Harming Defendants' Rights (FindLaw)
Child Porn Trafficking Life Sentence Upheld by 11th Circuit (FindLaw's Decided)

CA Mom in Meth Breast Milk Case Pleads Guilty

2012-02-08T16:04:51Z

Maggie Wortman pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on Monday, bringing the meth breast milk case one step closer to its end. The California mother was charged in the death of her 6-week-old son, who died of methamphetamine toxicity in November 2010.

The child had ingested Wortman's breast milk after she smoked the drug. Prosecutors believe medical professionals warned her of the dangers when she tested positive for meth while 6 months pregnant.

The plea also covers a parole violation and a misdemeanor child endangerment charge from 2009, reports the Times-Standard of Eureka.

Prosecutors were able to extract the plea deal with threat of harsher punishment. The District Attorney planned to re-file and charge Maggie Wortman with murder if the parties did not reach an agreement. Murder carries a sentence of 15 years to life in California.

Wortman ended up agreeing to the deal, which includes a sentence ranging anywhere from probation up to almost 12 years in jail, explains the Times-Standard. A judge will decide the exact meth breast milk punish in a hearing scheduled for March 5.

It's difficult to say just where that sentence will fall. It will likely include some jail, as this was not an accidental death. She was ingesting drugs both while pregnant and breastfeeding. Even if her son died of some other cause, she was still being reckless towards his care.

Maggie Wortman also has a criminal history, having been on parole. This will almost certainly factor into the judge's decision. She not only violated the law when she smoked meth, but violated the terms of her release.

Related Resources:

Mom enters guilty plea in infant's death (Associated Press)
California Child Neglect and Child Abandonment Laws (FindLaw)
Meth Breast Milk: Mom Charged with Murder of Baby (FindLaw Blotter)

'Bucket List' Police Chase Costs Man $1K Fine

2012-02-08T13:07:20Z

John Hughes -- no, not that John Hughes -- wondered what it would be like to be in a high-speed police chase.

The 55-year-old led police on a car chase through Butte, Montana early Thursday morning, hitting speeds of over 100 mph. He wasn't drunk, on drugs, or wanted for a crime.

When confused officers asked about his motives, he told them, "I just always wanted to do that." He did it for fun -- a bucket list police chase, if you will.

Hughes incited the chase after following a patrol car for several blocks. He then took off at a high speed, causing officers to follow. The chase finally ended when police threw a stop stick on the interstate, according to the Montana Standard.

He was arrested and charged with misdemeanor reckless driving while eluding a peace officer. A judge fined him $1,000 for instigating the bucket list police chase.

Hughes could have been fined up to $2,000 and/or sent to jail for no more than 1 year, according to the Montana Code. But prosecutors recommended no jail time and a low fine because he has no criminal record, explains the Standard.

A person with a criminal history or past incidents of reckless driving likely would have gotten some time behind bars and a heftier fine. Judges have a wide range of discretion when sentencing, and they tend to adjust upward for prior criminal experience.

John Hughes' lack of experience is what ultimately kept his bucket list police chase fun -- and relatively affordable.

Related Resources:

Montana man fined $1K for instigating police chase (Associated Press)
Reckless Driving (FindLaw)
Topless Woman Leads Ohio Cops on 128-mph Chase (FindLaw's Legally Weird)

Crime Push App Can Cut Crime Via Your Smartphone

2012-02-07T16:08:52Z

Ever wish you could report crime on your smartphone? Now you can. The Crime Push app offers a new way to get in touch with police.

With a few simple taps, you can send officers a wide array of information.

The application will allow you to include the location of the crime, any photos, audio, or video. You can also send in a text description. All of this information is sent to police officers who can then pursue the culprits.

The app was developed by DC man Shy Pahlevani. He was inspired to create Crime Push after his own run-ins with criminals. He was robbed multiple times on the streets of our nation's capitol.

You may wonder why an application like Crime Push is even necessary. There is always the option to go ahead and dial 911.

However, as Forbes pointed out, there are times when calling 911 wouldn't really produce the best results.

Imagine if you're walking down a darkened street. You happen upon a group of individuals who are dealing drugs. They don't see you, and you want to keep it that way. Calling 911 immediately wouldn't be prudent. It might reveal your presence to the criminals. But using your smartphone and entering in a few quick statements to police while you hurry away? It's relatively silent.

Plus there are features of the Crime Push app that may prove useful to authorities. This includes attaching video, audio, and photos of the event to your alert.

App developers have already fostered ties with Washington, DC's Metropolitan Police Department, Fairfax and Loudoun County school boards, and several DC-area colleges, according to Forbes.

However, citizens shouldn't just rely on Crime Push. As one local police department found, sometimes complaints can get lost. Dialing 911 may still be the safer bet for those that need immediate assistance.

Crime Push app developers intend to develop more ties with local police departments, WJLA-TV reports. There may be the day where it's faster -- and easier -- to report crime on your smartphone.

Related Resources:

CrimePush (Crime Push)
FBI iPhone App Helps Parents of Missing Children (FindLaw Blotter)
Facebook Stalker App: Breakup Notifier Good Idea? (FindLaw Blotter)
Man Tries to Rob with iPhone: App for That? (FindLaw Blotter)

UVA Lacrosse Murder Trial Begins for George Huguely

2012-02-07T13:08:19Z

Jury selection in the George Huguely trial began Monday after the former University of Virginia lacrosse player pleaded not guilty to murder. He's being charged in the 2010 death of his ex-girlfriend, lacrosse star Yeardley Love.

The murder shocked the college town of Charlottesville, Va., where Love was found beaten and face-down in a pool of blood. The incident led police to Huguely, who has been charged with first degree murder and five other crimes.

The George Huguely trial verdict will ultimately turn on how the jury reacts to the defendant's videotaped confession. He waived his Miranda Rights and spoke to police, according to ABC News. He told investigators that he kicked down Love's door and shook her violently.

However, he contends that her death was not his fault -- she allegedly had an irregular heartbeat caused by Adderall and alcohol. But the autopsy report suggests that the drugs did not contribute to her death.

Though it's impossible to predict how the jury will respond to this theory, there is one thing of which you can be relatively sure:

It was not a good idea for George Huguely to talk to the police without an attorney.

There is little good that can come from talking to police without representation. Even innocent people can be tripped up and suddenly find themselves suspected of a crime. Attorneys are trained to choose their words wisely, which allows them to protect clients from accidental admissions.

The George Huguely trial may end up being an easy conviction because the defendant didn't need this bit of advice.

Related Resources:

Huguely to Address Court First Day of Murder Trial (WHSV)
Waiving Miranda Rights (FindLaw)
Murder Suspect Charged in Lacrosse Player Death (FindLaw Blotter)

2nd Miramonte Elementary Teacher Arrested for Child Abuse

2012-02-06T19:39:18Z

A second Miramonte Elementary teacher has been arrested days for child abuse days after Mark Berndt's arrest. Now Martin Bernard Springer, 49, was arrested on suspicion that he fondled two girls.

Berndt's arrest shocked Los Angeles after charges he made children play a "tasting game" with his semen while blindfolded.

Springer, meanwhile, allegedly touched two girls. One was 7 and the other 8. The incidents took place sometime during the last three years, reports USA Today.

Springer and Berndt both spent their entire teaching careers at Miramonte Elementary.

Springer's arrest sent shockwaves through the community. The elementary school, with about 1,500 students, is one of the largest in the country, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Springer was arrested last week. He is currently being held on a $2 million bail. Investigators interviewed him and his alleged victims last week. Officials expect that more victims might step forward in coming weeks.

There are some individuals that are required by law to report suspicion of child abuse. This includes teachers, fire fighters, health practitioners, and social workers to name a few. So if school officials reasonably suspected the two teachers were committing abuse, they would have been required by law to report to authorities.

It's unclear if anyone at the school had reasonable suspicion that Martin Bernard Springer was committing abuse. But there are some questions about whether or not the school should have done more in Berndt's case. The school waited a year to divulge details of the "tasting game" to parents.

Related Resources:

Second teacher arrested amid L.A. sex abuse probe (Reuters)
Child Abuse Background and History (FindLaw)
What To Do if You Suspect Child Abuse (FindLaw Blotter)
L.A. Teacher Accused of Lewd Acts, Spooning Semen to Students (FindLaw's Los Angeles Criminal Law Blog)

TSA Agent Steals $5K During JFK Security Screen

2012-02-06T13:07:52Z

An airport security screener's alleged departure from procedure will soon lead to her arrival in court. The TSA agent stole $5,000 from a passenger at New York's JFK airport in a brazen crime caught on tape, police say.

TSA agent Alexandra Schmid, 31, of Brooklyn, faces a charge of grand larceny, the New York Post reports.

Police arrested Schmid after a passenger complained that $5,000 was missing from his jacket Wednesday night. The passenger had placed the jacket on an X-ray machine conveyor belt for screening, the Post reports.

A check of the airport's surveillance-camera video revealed the alleged culprit.

Cameras caught TSA agent Alexandra Schmid allegedly stealing the $5,000 from the passenger's jacket, wrapping the money inside a latex glove, and then taking the cash-filled glove to a nearby restroom.

The money has not been recovered, the Associated Press reports. Schmid may have handed the $5,000 to an accomplice inside the restroom, police told the AP.

Schmid was arrested in connection with grand larceny, another term for theft. Larceny requires taking something of value without the owner's consent, with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property.

"Grand" or "petty" larceny refers to the stolen property's value. In Schmid's case, her alleged $5,000 theft amounts to a third-degree felony under New York's criminal laws.

If convicted, Schmid could be sentenced to prison and forced to pay a fine of twice the amount taken, according to New York laws.

It also likely doesn't matter that police have not found the $5,000 the TSA agent allegedly stole. The tape that caught Alexandra Schmid allegedly taking the cash should suffice to show an intentional taking.

Related Resources:

TSA Officer At JFK Busted Stealing $5K From Passenger's Jacket On Conveyor Belt (Gothamist)
New York Larceny Laws (FindLaw)
TSA Strip Searched 3 Elderly Women? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
TSA Cupcakegate: Feds Defend Cupcake Confiscation (FindLaw's Legally Weird)

FL Mom Told Daughter to Bite, Hit Girl Harder

2012-02-02T13:07:32Z

A Florida mom set up a fight between her daughter and another girl. She is now facing criminal charges. Sandra Padilla Miranda, 38, organized the duel for her 17-year-old teen daughter.

She arranged the altercation with her daughter's 14-year-old classmate. The two girls both attend a local high school.

The 14-year-old teen said she was contacted by Miranda to come to her apartment complex after school. When she arrived there was a crowd. That's when the punches -- and goading -- started.

Miranda allegedly yelled in Spanish to her daughter. She repeatedly told her to hit the 14-year-old harder. She even told her to bite her opponent.

Miranda was arrested. Her initial story to the police was that she was held back by others when she tried to stop the fight.

Unluckily for the mother, someone had taken a video of the incident. And the film proved her story was false.

She was charged with child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, reports the New York Daily News.

Florida law mandates that any "willful act or threatened act that results in physical, mental, or sexual injury or harm" to a child is abuse. Miranda set the fight up for her daughter. She was putting her daughter in harm's way. That is likely why she was charged with the offense.

Miranda's rationale was that her daughter and the other girl were having troubles with each other at school. She believed they needed to settle it, otherwise they would continue to fight during school hours.

That's why the Florida mom set up the fight. She wanted to resolve the issue through confrontation. Sandra Padilla Miranda's daughter and the other 14-year-old girl have both been suspended from their school according to the New York Daily News.

Related Resources:

Another Mom Gets Arrested For Serving As Ferdie Pacheco During Teen Daughter's Brawl With Classmate (The Smoking Gun)
Child Abuse (FindLaw)
Meth-Related Child Abuse Cases on the Rise? (FindLaw Blotter)
'Hot Sauce Mom' on Trial in AK for Child Abuse (FindLaw Blotter)

$23M Bail for LA Teacher in Child Abuse Scandal

2012-02-01T20:22:01Z

A former Los Angeles teacher accused in a sickening child abuse scandal is being held in lieu of $23 million bail.

Mark Berndt, 61, is charged with committing lewd acts against 23 boys and girls, ages 7 to 10. More charges may be coming, as five more alleged victims have stepped forward, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Berndt allegedly made students play a "tasting game" while blindfolded in his class at Los Angeles' Miramonte Elementary School, the Times reports. The "game" allegedly involved feeding children his semen.

Mark Berndt asked his blindfolded students if what they tasted was salty or sweet, police told the Times. The teacher also took photos of his alleged child abuse: Some pictures show kids gagged with tape, while others show children with cockroaches crawling on their faces.

An alert worker at a drug-store photo lab noticed the disturbing pictures after developing them, and turned them over to police more than a year ago, the Associated Press reports. Investigators seized about 400 photos at Berndt's home and at the photo lab.

Berndt was fired in January 2011, and police began to investigate the teacher's alleged child abuse. They arrested Berndt on Monday.

Some parents questioned why school administrators didn't go public sooner about Berndt's alleged child abuse. Berndt could have been arrested on misdemeanor charges when the investigation began, but investigators wanted to build a stronger felony case, a sheriff's spokesman told the Associated Press.

Berndt has no prior arrest record. But in California, committing lewd acts on a child 14 or younger constitutes a sex crime. Even if a child consents to the lewd acts, that is not a defense to the crime, a 2008 California Supreme Court ruling held.

Berndt could face life in prison if convicted, according to the AP.

Police fear the number of teacher Mark Berndt's alleged child-abuse victims may be much higher. Berndt began teaching at Miramonte Elementary School in 1979, the AP reports.

Related Resources:

Judge sets bail at $23 million for elementary school teacher accused of lewd acts on children (CBS News)
Consent Is Not a Defense to Aggravated Lewd Conduct on a Child Under Age 14 (FindLaw)
What To Do if You Suspect Child Abuse (FindLaw's Blotter)
California Criminal Laws (FindLaw)

No One Deserves 2 years in Solitary for a DWI

2012-02-01T17:06:42Z

Prison officials in Dona Ana County forgot about Stephen Slevin. They tossed him in a New Mexico jail cell and paid him little attention for two years.

During those two years, his mental health would deteriorate. He would receive little to no psychiatric treatment. He would have to pull his own tooth.

This all happened after Slevin was picked up for driving while intoxicated.

He was never convicted.

Though a jury has awarded Stephen Slevin $22 million, county officials are still not answering questions about why he never had a trial. Or how he ended up in solitary confinement for two years.

The most recent response comes from District Attorney Amy Orlando, who told KVIA-TV the following:

"Twenty-two months (in a detention center) for someone who has possible mental health issues is not unreasonable at all because we can't just say, 'Go back out on the streets.' They need treatment, they need help."

While this is true, persons with mental health issues are still entitled to a speedy trial under the 6th Amendment. Though the U.S. Supreme Court has never given a definite timeline, the New Mexico Supreme Court has come close. Under those guidelines, simple cases should be heard within 12 months. Slightly more complex cases, in 18 months.

A DWI case is a relatively simple prosecution.

And if that prosecution couldn't have gone forward because of Stephen Slevin's mental health, he was still entitled to a competency hearing before the court. That hearing happened 22 months after he was arrested, according to KVIA-TV. At that point, a judge dismissed the charges and had him civilly committed.

Related Resources:

Man spends 2 years in solitary after DWI arrest (MSNBC)
Your Rights in the Criminal Justice System (FindLaw)
Jury Trial Put on Hold so Lawyer Can Attend Bris (FindLaw's Legally Weird)

SAT Cheating Should Be a Crime: NY Bill

2012-02-01T13:07:13Z

In response to last year's SAT cheating scandal, state Senator Kenneth LaValle has proposed a bill that would make cheating on the SAT a felony in New York.

If passed, the SAT cheating bill would formally criminalize the "facilitation of education testing fraud" and "scheming to defraud educational testing." Such a law would punish students who pay an impersonator and the impersonators themselves.

Can New York do this?

If you recall, the students involved in the Long Island cheating scandal were charged with a bevy of crimes, including falsifying business records and fraud. There doesn't appear to be anything preventing the state from further criminalizing SAT cheating. It's already a crime.

However, the SAT cheating bill also calls for increased security measures, including photo identification and fingerprinting. The state may have problems forcing The College Board, which administers the SAT, to increase security.

The College Board is "not a law enforcement agency," Tom Rudin, a senior vice president, told state legislators. And the state may not be able to make it act like one.

Legislation becomes more complicated when it involves a corporation's internal procedures. And when that corporation deals with universities in all 50 states, it may actually be the federal government that is in charge. Congress is the only entity tasked with regulating interstate commerce.

The College Board may fight such requirements, too. New procedures could be costly, and they probably wouldn't make a difference.

Rudin told legislators that the SAT cheating bill ignores reality. Most cheating involves wandering eyes and cell phones -- not impersonators.

Related Resources:

NY Bill Would Make SAT Test Cheating a Crime (NBC)
Fraud (FindLaw)
Woman Cheated on NY Bar Exam, Court Rules (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)

TX Pastor Arrested, Labeled a 'Cat Killer'

2012-01-31T17:06:10Z

It wasn't a leap of faith that killed the neighbor's cat -- it was a Texas pastor who threw the cat off a bridge, police say.

Pastor Rick Bartlett, 55, of Bastrop, Texas, faces animal-cruelty charges in connection with the alleged crime that also destroyed a young girl's faith, Austin's KVUE-TV reports. "She knows the man who did this is a pastor ... and she said, 'I don't believe in heaven anymore,'" the girl's mother said.

The 5-year-old girl was distraught over her 12-year-old cat Moody, whose corpse was found on the banks of the Colorado River. So how did she know the pastor killed her cat?

An alert animal-control officer connected the dots to solve the cat's killing, KVUE reports. Pastor Rick Bartlett had taken Moody to animal control after he'd trapped and caged the cat as an apparent stray. But the animal-control officer spotted Moody's collar with his owners' names and contact info.

Pastor Bartlett recognized the names as his neighbors and said he'd return the cat himself, KVUE reports. A few hours later, a passerby found the cat dead, about 50 feet below a bridge.

The animal-control officer who was called to the scene was the same person who'd spoken to Pastor Bartlett that day. The officer told police, and Bartlett was arrested.

Texas' animal-cruelty law specifically prohibits killing an animal that belongs to someone else without the owner's consent. Defenses to the crime include self-defense, defense of livestock being attacked by the animal, or legitimate scientific research. In Bartlett's case, none of these defenses seem to apply.

Police have not found any witnesses who saw Pastor Rick Bartlett throw the cat to its death. But that probably won't matter because Bartlett admitted the cat was in his care at the time, KVUE reports. Bartlett posted $5,000 bond and remains free pending a court date.

Related Resources:

Bastrop Pastor arrested for animal cruelty following cat's death (Austin's KEYE-TV)
Texas Criminal Laws (FindLaw)
Browse Criminal Defense Lawyers by Location (FindLaw)
Baggage Handler Fired for Animal Abuse Report (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)

Pardoned Murderer Joseph Ozment Found in WY

2012-01-31T13:07:52Z

Officials have located Joseph Ozment, a convicted killer pardoned by former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour earlier this month. Law enforcement had been looking for Ozment since Attorney General Jim Hood decided to challenge Barbour's pardons in court.

He was supposed to appear at a hearing last week, but failed to show. Instead, he remained hidden in Wyoming where he and his girlfriend used different names.

Ozment actually didn't do anything illegal. Until the court says otherwise, he's a free man. Additionally, the judge never issued a warrant for his arrest, reports the Associated Press. He was never served with papers, so he had no legal obligation to appear at the hearing.

However, he has now been served with a court order and is thus legally obligated to check-in with the state Department of Corrections every 24 hours. He must also appear in court on Friday, according to CNN

At that point, he may be taken back into permanent custody.

But first, the judge must decide whether Haley Barbour violated the Mississippi Constitution when he pardoned Joseph Ozment and 200 other inmates.

The attorney general believes Barbour failed to follow proper protocol in all but two dozen of those pardons. A notice of pardon must be published in a local newspaper for 30 days, explains the Associated Press. Some were published for only 28 days, and others for far less.

The fate of Joseph Ozment ultimately depends on where he falls in that range. Was his pardon given proper notice or not?

Related Resources:
Joseph Ozment: Missing Pardoned Killer Found In Wyoming (WREG-TV)
Pardon (FindLaw)
Miss. Pardons Blocked by Judge After 5 Murderers Freed (FindLaw Blotter)

Smoke 'Legal' Medical Pot, Still Get Arrested by Feds

2012-01-30T14:02:49Z

Lest there be any question, the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause still applies to medical marijuana. A federal judge has ruled that federal laws trump Montana's state laws about medical pot, and patient advocates aren't pleased.

"It's disappointing to see how the states have essentially paved a path for citizens to engage in what they believe is lawful activity, only to set them up for federal intrusion like this," a lawyer for the Montana medical-marijuana patients told the Associated Press.

U.S. District Judge Donald Malloy dismissed the pot patients' lawsuit claiming Constitutional violations in raids by federal agents last year, the AP reports. Malloy also rejected their argument that a Justice Department memo promised the feds would not press charges.

"A reasonable person, having read the entirety of the [memo], could not conclude that the federal government was somehow authorizing the production and consumption of marijuana for medicinal purposes," Malloy wrote in his Jan. 20 decision, according to the AP.

The 2009 memo said federal prosecutors would not go after "individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana," according to the AP.

Voters approved Montana's medical marijuana law in 2004. But that law -- like other state laws that allow for medical pot -- is trumped by the federal Controlled Substances Act that prohibits marijuana in all forms, Malloy's decision held.

Malloy cited the U.S. Constitution's supremacy clause and a 2005 Supreme Court decision, Gonzales v. Raich, which held that the supremacy clause applies in medical-marijuana cases.

Lawyers for the Montana medical-marijuana patients tell the AP they're considering an appeal to the Ninth Circuit. Federal prosecutors declined to comment.

Related Resources:

Judge: Federal Law Trumps Mont.'s Medical Pot Law (The Associated Press)
What is the Supremacy Clause and Why Should You Care? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
Browse Criminal Defense Lawyers by Location (FindLaw)
Medical Marijuana - An Overview (FindLaw)

Will Sex Abuse Laws Change After Penn State?

2012-01-30T13:01:15Z

State lawmakers are heading back to work this month, and many of them are considering ways to prevent another Penn State.

Mandatory reporting laws are the issue du jour this session, and at least 12 states have already drafted legislation. If passed, those bills would extend coverage to athletic coaches, licensing boards, camp counselors and employers.

In some jurisdictions, everyone will become a mandatory reporter.

The proposed bills reflect public outrage at Penn State's failure to report Jerry Sandusky to police. Many believe the university, and Joe Paterno, should have reported the abuse allegations instead of conducting an internal investigation. Results may have been quicker, and children could have been saved.

Whether or not that is true is irrelevant. Legislators believe -- and some would say correctly -- that mandatory reporting laws should expand. If an adult comes into contact with a child on a regular basis, that adult should be legally bound to report any form of abuse.

Forty-eight states currently have mandatory reporting laws, according to the Associated Press. Those laws typically cover teachers, doctors, social workers, peace officers and emergency responders. Some states include daycare workers and voluntary athletic coaches.

Eighteen states require every adult to report suspected child abuse.

In addition to mandatory reporting laws, legislators are taking a closer look at criminal and civil statutes of limitations, explains the Associated Press. In some states, Jerry Sandusky's alleged victims wouldn't be able to sue for civil damages, or press criminal charges.

Perhaps this will be the real legacy of Penn State: mandatory reporting laws and longer statutes of limitations.

Related Resources:

State Debates Requiring Youth Coaches To Report Child Abuse (Hartford Courant)
Child Abuse (FindLaw)
What To Do if You Suspect Child Abuse (FindLaw Blotter)