Legislature Passes Jakes’s Law

The House and Senate have approved a compromised version of legislation known as “Jake’s Law,” and have sent it Governor Bob Holden for his signature. It’s named for Jake Robel, the six-year-old Independence boy who was killed in February of last year during a carjacking. Jake was sitting in the family vehicle when it was stolen. He became entangled in the seat belt as the carjacker drove off and the boy was dragged to his death. The man charged with killing Jake has been released from a Carroll County jail despite outstanding warrants. The bill makes failing to check for warrants a misdemeanor if the jailer “purposely fails to perform a warrant check with the intent to release a prisoner with outstanding warrants.”