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Attack On Belmar Homeless Man Spurs Legislation

The horrendous attack of a Belmar homeless man, David Ivins, has already resulted in new legislation being proposed.

Monmouth County Republican Assembly Members Dave Rible and Mary Pat Angelini, along with Assembly Republican Conference Leader Jon Bramnick of Westfield, Union County, announced that they will sponsor legislation that will increase penalities for recording and distributing an assault:

Rible, Angelini & Bramnick to Sponsor Legislation in Response to Attack on Homeless Man

“A perpetrator videotaping a crime and using the video to re-live the event is a horrendous act and deserves a more severe penalty,” said Bramnick.  

Measure Would Increase Penalties for Taping and Posting Video of an Assault

Assembly Republican Whip Dave Rible, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, and Assembly Republican Conference Leader Jon Bramnick announced that they will sponsor legislation that increase penalties and mandate jail time for videotaping and distributing the recording of an assault.

The Assembly members are sponsoring this legislation in response to a recent attack in which two teenagers beat a homeless man in Wall Township while they videotaped and then posted the attack on the Internet.

“The action taken by these two boys is completely outrageous and calls for serious jail time,” said Rible. “There needs to be severe repercussions put into place to ensure that no one else attempts to reenact this inexcusable attack on an innocent person.”

Two young men followed and attacked a homeless man in a wooded area of Wall Township. They beat the man and then stole his bike while they openly mocked him, videotaping the whole incident as it occurred.

“It is absolutely appalling that two young men found it amusing to stalk and attack a homeless man,” said Angelini. “The fact that the young men posted the attack on the Internet as if it was entertainment is frightening and we must send a clear message that this behavior will not be tolerated in our state.”

Under this legislation, videotaping and distributing the recording of an assault will result in an automatic second degree aggravated assault charge. A person convicted of a second degree aggravated assault charge is subject to 5-10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000.

While the attack certainly warrants a response, do we really need another law?

Is this proposed law even advisable?  According to the news reports about this incident, we wouldn’t even know it happen or who did it if the alleged perpetrators had not taped the attack and put it on YouTube.

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Posted: December 21st, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: NJ State Legislature | Tags: , , , , , , | 10 Comments »

10 Comments on “Attack On Belmar Homeless Man Spurs Legislation”

  1. brian said at 1:51 pm on December 21st, 2011:

    The Liberals—NJ R’s are just liberal Dem’s in disguise–answer to everything—make another law that will never be enforced.

  2. Stonewalled said at 2:28 pm on December 21st, 2011:

    You would think a former law enforcement officer (Rible) would know better than to take tools away from LEO and prosecutors. Just because you outlaw videotaping crimes, does that mean the crimes won’t happen? To the contrary, now there will be less evidence to prosecute with. Idiots.

  3. Jim Sage said at 2:45 pm on December 21st, 2011:

    Stonewalled is absolutely correct. Furthermore, we don’t need laws for the sake of more laws…sheesh!

  4. brian said at 4:13 pm on December 21st, 2011:

    NJ legislature—Never underestimate the power of large groups of stupid people—and we keep re-electing them.

  5. Justified Right said at 5:25 pm on December 21st, 2011:

    “Taping and posting” will be a crime? 1st Amendment challenge to follow.

  6. Bob English said at 6:18 pm on December 21st, 2011:

    I’m for it…any assault is bad enough an intentionly planned assualt that is recorded and distributed does deserve some extra time in jail. A couple of years in Rahway being on the receiving end of some beatings might staighten out any a___holes that would do something like this.

  7. Pilgrim said at 4:21 pm on December 22nd, 2011:

    Justified Right is correct. What happens to members of the free press who record and later publish any incident where violence happens? This is all about politicians trying to look like they are doing something good; it is about them and it is not about trying to protect anyone else.

  8. Pilgrim said at 4:23 pm on December 22nd, 2011:

    Bob English how do you know that it was intentionally planned?

  9. Bob English said at 8:44 pm on December 22nd, 2011:

    Note that the bill refers to ““A perpetrator”…it is not refering to members of the free press.

    Pilgrim….I did mention the word “intentionally” and you are right…we would not always know if a person or group of people planned in advance to videotape a crime.

  10. Tr said at 9:17 am on December 23rd, 2011:

    Whose dumber a criminal that records and posts themselved committing a crime making it easier to catch them OR the politicians who don’t want them recording and posting your their crimes.

    OOOhhh thats a tough one.