Proposed Curtis Law would give families of murdered children information about their child's case

Patricia Ward lost her son, Curtis, to violence nearly 20 years ago in California, and there are still no arrests.

“The hardest part of the whole thing was not knowing,” Ward said while holding a painting of her son, who was 16 at the time of his murder.

For years, Ward petitioned online for the Curtis Law. The law would change Florida’s laws to allow immediate family of a murder victim under 18 years old to see criminal investigation information and records.

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The law would also require an investigator to provide their direct contact information to that family and provide records of that child’s property held by investigators.

State Representative Tracie Davis of Jacksonville recently drafted the Curtis Law bill, but it wasn’t officially filed because a legislative deadline already passed.

“You will have something tangible, names, numbers,” Ward said.

"You are compromising your own investigation," Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson said.

Carson said the Curtis Law may have a hard time passing through the state Legislature. Carson adds in some cases, a close family member is the killer.

However, Ward posted online, saying the law would not pertain to those cases.

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“If they’re required to turn over data to potential suspects, that makes no sense,” Carson said.

“A lot of mothers call me. They don’t understand why this isn’t a law,” Ward said, “All the pain I went though, I can share it with others so they don’t have to feel that.”

Action News Jax did reach out to law enforcement agencies across our area for their thoughts on the proposed law, and did not get a response.

To see a petition for the Curtis Law, click here.

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