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SPONSOR:
TITLE OF BILL: Enacts the Jeremiah’s law; relates to the misuse of 911
against minors under 13 years of age
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: this act shall be known and may be cited as the “Jeremiah’s law”
JUSTIFICATION:
On October 12, 2018, the actions of Ms. Teresa Klein, a resident of the
Flatbush community, traumatized a young black 9-year old child, “Jeremiah” by
falsely accusing him of groping her.
The incident, which took place at the Sahara Deli Market in Flatbush,
Brooklyn, was videotaped and quickly went viral. It is very clear from the
video footage that this black 9-year old child did not “sexually assault” Ms.
Klein. The video showed the child's backpack brushing Ms. Klein’s backside as
he passing by.
Although she apologized after watching the surveillance video, her false
accusation against this child will leave him with a traumatic experience
which will stay with him for the rest of his life.
If it were not for the surveillance camera, Jeremiah who was with his mother,
might have been arrested and detained in the Juvenile Court.
Ms. Klein's behavior echoes an ugly past in our country's history going back
to the brutal torture and murder of Emmett Till. Till, 14, Black, was falsely
accused of “wolf whistling” at a white woman and as a result was abducted
from a visiting relative, beaten and mutilated him before he was shot in the
head and body sunk in the Tallahatchie River in the Mississippi Delta. This
provide a clear and tragic example of what can happen to children of color
when they are presumed guilty by our society.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.