Families of Crime Victims now have better support with Curtis law

DORAL, FL – Curtis law or House Bill 233 was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis with the purpose of providing better support to families who have lost their loved ones due to a crime.

“I am proud to sign Curtis’ Law and am grateful for the hard work of Curtis’ family that makes these reforms a reality,” DeSantis said.

HB 233 now forces the law enforcement agency that oversees the investigation of a death of a minor to provide the minor’s next of kin with the contact information for the primary investigator and contact information for any other law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation.

Law enforcement must also give information on the status of the investigation, the case number, and a list of the minor victim’s effects and instructions on how to collect them.

Curtis law also expands the rights of families whose minor children have been victims of crime by requiring law enforcement agencies to provide investigative and contact information to the next of kin of deceased minors who were the victim of a homicide.

The new legislation signed owe its name to Curtis Williamson, who was murdered in 1997 in San Diego but his case was considered an accident until 2017.

It wasn’t until Curtis’ mother, Patricia Ward, spent nearly two decades collecting evidence that the manner of Curtis’ death was changed to a homicide by the San Diego Police Department and County Medical Examiner’s Office.

“When criminals inflict the ultimate loss on a family — the loss of a beloved child — government must aggressively investigate and hold those criminals accountable, and that family should never be left in the dark. Those loved ones have a right to be informed about the status of those investigations,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

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