A bill increasing penalties for falsely reporting a crime to law enforcement is heading to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's desk. Lawmakers in the Yellowhammer State passed the bill on Wednesday with a 32-0 vote in the Senate. Many in the state called for harsher penalties for making a false police report after Carlee Russell faked her own kidnapping off Interstate 459 in the city of Hoover last summer – a case that drew national attention.
Falsely reporting a crime to authorities is a Class A misdemeanor in Alabama, but the legislation, if signed by Ivey, will make the crime a felony if it 'alleges imminent danger to a person or the public.' It would also make it easier to order restitution for the amount of money authorities spend working on the case.
Russell, who later admitted to fabricating the entire incident, disappeared for two days after calling Hoover police to report a toddler on the interstate on July 13. She told the dispatcher she was stopping her car to check on the child, then faked her abduction. She showed up at her parents' house late in the night on July 15 after massive searches led by law enforcement and volunteers and national headlines about her alleged kidnapping.
Russell pleaded guilty on March 21 to charges of giving false information to law enforcement. She was given a suspended six-month sentence, which allows her to avoid jail, and was ordered to pay more than $17,000 restitution. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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