Good Samaritan Law Arguments

There is great debate about the consideration of this “Good Samaritan law”. The text of the “Good Samaritan law” states that, “a person who knowingly fails to provide reasonable assistance to another who is exposed to grave physical harm is punishable by a fine not to exceed $100. Failure to provide assistance is punishable only if the person could have provided aid without danger to himself and without interference with important duties owed to others.” There is such legislation put in place called Bad Samaritan laws which may be supported by a certain population. Many American citizens in support of the Good Samaritan law imposed in states like Vermont and Washington feel that the community should be able to help others. Meanwhile, persons
The Journal of Criminal Justice has done studies in America to prove how a certain part of the nation feels about any law pertaining to this issue such as the “American bystander rule” and “Bad Samaritan laws.” The authors state, “A slight majority (57 percent) agreed while 43 percent disagreed with the item stating, ‘There should be a law that obligates mankind to call for help or provide assistance to anyone in distress” (Time, Payne, and Gainey 792). I thought America was about what we the people want as stated in our Constitution? So why would legislators put out these laws that turn something moral or immoral a crime? This study indicates that people actually pay attention to the distinct “fine print” of these laws. Legislators need to be worrying about actual crime instead of acts of
In 2007, there was the case of Kane v. Lamothe where state trooper Lamothe didn’t arrest the plaintiff’s former boyfriend for sexually assaulting her and beating her. Kane suffered a lot of medical damage due to the ex-boyfriend dragging her down the stairs and again sexually assaulting her out of trooper Lamothe’s presence. According to Justia Law, “After that interview, the boyfriend retrieved plaintiff from the bedroom, and the trooper interviewed plaintiff in the apartment doorway… observed the marks on plaintiff's face, but left the apartment without making an arrest or investigating further. After the trooper left, the boyfriend sexually assaulted and battered plaintiff a second time” (Justia US Law). Troopers and other law enforcement officials are being punished for police brutality in other ways or are even going off as innocent. Why would the government want to start charging them $100 for not doing their job? That’s going to make victims of crime and their families not like police officers even more in the coming years. Many politicians will be focusing on adding the Good Samaritan law to states until the possibly applied in all 50 states.
“Good Samaritan laws are enacted to provide immunity from prosecution and to encourage individuals to help others who