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Top 10 True Crimes That Changed Laws

Top 10 True Crimes That Changed Laws
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton WRITTEN BY: George Pacheco
These horrific crimes managed to have a positive effect on society in the long term. For this list, we'll be ranking real life crimes where the importance of what happened was so great that it inspired laws or procedures to be drafted in response. Our countdown includes Son of Sam, Adam Walsh, Kitty Genovese, and more!

Top 10 True Crimes That Changed Laws


Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 True Crimes That Changed Laws.

For this list, we'll be ranking real life crimes where the importance of what happened was so great that it inspired laws or procedures to be drafted in response.

#10: Son of Sam

There have been various "Son of Sam" type laws introduced over the years, but the central goal is always the same: to prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes after conviction. This goes back to the fear that David Berkowitz, the notorious Son of Sam, would seek a book or movie deal while in prison to tell his story. Different states have drafted their own version of this law, only for some of them to be struck down as unconstitutional. In New York state, victims and their families will receive notification if the criminal earns more than ten thousand dollars from telling their story. It's a delicate balance between Freedom of Speech and profiting from tragedy.

#9: Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr.

The two individuals in our next entry may not have known each other, but their place in history was vital towards the expanding of hate crime definition in the United States. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was introduced and passed in the fall of 2009 after both men lost their lives as a result of prejudice and bigotry. The law not only made it easier for Federal authorities to investigate cases of this nature, but the Act also expanded wording to include crimes perpetrated due to one's gender or sexual identity. Although it cannot make up for the senseless loss of these two lives, it's arguably helped many people seek justice in the wake of such crimes.

#8: Polly Klaas

Polly Klaas was taken from her home during a slumber party on October 1st, 1993, and the tragedy had far-reaching effects on California legislature. For starters, support for "three-strikes laws" earned a lot of traction. Her kidnapper, Richard Allen Davis, had a lengthy criminal record, though there were no open warrants when police initially stopped him after being notified of a suspicious car. The idea that felony criminals should serve automatic life sentences when they commit multiple serious crimes was made easy by Davis' repugnant and unrepentant behavior during the trial. Furthermore, California Highway Patrol expanded access to their all points bulletins to local authorities in the aftermath of Polly's death.

#7: Rebecca Schaeffer

Living life in the public eye isn't easy, especially when stalkers and obsessed fans come into play. This was unfortunately what caused the loss of a young and promising star, in the form of "My Sister Sam" actress Rebecca Schaeffer. Robert John Bardo stalked the actress for years, attempting to crash the set of "My Sister Sam," and even hiring a private investigator to find out where Schaeffer lived via the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Bardo eventually shot Schaeffer at her home, and her death prompted lawmakers to draft stricter anti-stalking legislation in its wake. The Driver's Privacy Protection Act was also made into law after this incident, making it more difficult for others to find personal information via the DMV.

#6: Johnny Gosch

This cold case was the subject of a 2014 documentary titled "Who Took Johnny?" but it also changed how police respond to reports of missing children. Johnny Gosch was taken during his paper route on the early morning hours of September 5th, 1982, and he hasn't been seen since. At the time of his disappearance, policy in Des Moines, Iowa stated that someone couldn't be labeled as a missing person until 72 hours had gone by. The Gosch case resulted in legislation that changed all of this, making it easier for police to begin an investigation. "The Johnny Gosch Bill" requires authorities to immediately treat all missing person reports of a child as credible, and to respond accordingly.

#5: Megan Kanka

How well do you really know your neighbor? This was the inspiration behind "Megan's Law," a subsection of laws that require the public to be able to access information of convicted sex offenders in their area. The specific case was that of seven year old Megan Kanka, whose neighbor Jesse Timmendequas lured and assaulted her before taking her life. Timmendequas' criminal history with little to no rehabilitation wasn't available to Kanka's family. And, as a local Assemblyman by the name of Paul Kramer was quoted saying, "Megan Kanka would be alive today" had a public registry been easily accessible by her family.

#4: Ernesto Miranda

You've heard it a million times on television and movies, but do you know the actual origins behind your Miranda Rights? Although Ernesto Miranda was a criminal and his second trial did have the same results of a conviction, it's the circumstances of his arrest that changed the law. This was because Miranda wasn't informed of his right to remain silent, so as not to incriminate himself, and was also “refused an opportunity to consult with his counsel.” His confession was deemed inadmissible as evidence, and the state of Arizona had to retry him with said confession omitted from the record. The Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona, now requires that all arresting officers inform you of your right to silence and an attorney.

#3: Amber Hagerman

Most people are familiar with AMBER Alerts; they inform us whenever the case of a child going missing is reported in our area. However, it's vitally important that we remember the alert's namesake, Amber Hagerman. While riding her bicycle back in 1996, Hagerman was taken and murdered. Her killer has never been found. The case increased demand for immediate response to any sort of similar report involving minors, and today AMBER Alerts go out on radio, television, telephone, internet and highway communication devices in order to maximize public awareness and response. There are also related alerts for missing seniors, called Silver Alerts, and police, known as Blue Alerts.

#2: Adam Walsh

The abduction and death of Adam Walsh is arguably the most well known case on this list, thanks largely to the public presence of Walsh's father, John, as the host of "America's Most Wanted." Still, it's impossible to overstate how much the Walsh Family has worked to help the families of victims over the years, as Adam's case was responsible, in part, for the establishment of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Adam's taking from a Florida mall was also the impetus for the "Code Adam" program that's used in retail environments. An employee will now page information over the intercom to help find a child that’s been reported as having disappeared.

#1: Kitty Genovese

Dialing 911 seems like such an instinctive act, it's easy to forget that this wasn't always how emergencies were called in to police. Kitty Genovese was followed, assaulted and stabbed by Winston Moseley while she was returning home after a late night shift working at a bar. The crime had multiple witnesses in the form of Genovese's neighbors, but some were reportedly too scared to call police, while others had difficulty getting through on a line. At the time, any emergencies would be called into the operator, who would then transfer the call to the appropriate authorities only when they had the opportunity to do so. This delayed response would, in part, influence the establishment of the 911 emergency system we use today.
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