‘Sherrice Iverson’ Bill Becomes Law
A bill inspired by the murder of a local 7-year-old girl in a Nevada casino was signed into law Monday by Gov. Gray Davis.
The legislation, authored by Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch), makes it a crime to witness the sexual assault of a minor without notifying police.
The bill became known as the Sherrice Iverson Good Samaritan Law because it was inspired by the 1997 slaying of the girl at a casino in Primm, Nev.
Iverson was molested and killed in a casino bathroom by Jeremy Strohmeyer, who is serving a life sentence for the crime. David Cash, a friend of Strohmeyer, witnessed the beginning of the assault but never reported it to police or tried to intervene.
Cash was the target of several protests and a campaign to punish people who fail to act when they witness such attacks.
Failure to notify a peace officer of a sexual attack or physical assault on anyone under the age of 14 is now a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and a year in jail.
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