Legislation proposed in Albany could help victims of domestic violence. Under "Jackie's Law," using a GPS device to track people without their consent would be a criminal offense.
The proposed law is named for Jacqueline Wisniewski, who was shot to death in a stairwell at Erie County Medical Center by her ex-boyfriend Dr. Timothy Jorden last June. Jorden committed suicide as police closed in to arrest him.
Several months before her murder, Wisniewski found a tracking device in her vehicle, but she did not press charges and police could not act. State Senator Timothy Kennedy says often times victims are fearful of retaliation and become stuck in abusive relationships.
"This legislation allows law enforcement the ability to prosecute perpetrators for the crime of GPS stalking for unlawful surveillance without requiring the victim to file an order of protection or press charges," Kennedy said. "Jackie's Law will empower police agencies and prosecutors to intervene in domestic violence cases before it's too late."
Kennedy says there have been tens of thousands of such cases in recent years, but there is no legal statute specifically addressing them. His bill would make it a felony to install electronics to track another person.
"This is one of those cases where the law hasn't kept pace with technology," Kennedy added.
Full text of the law can be found here.
