User:Borchersg1/Jaywalking

As it currently stands, the decriminalization effort sits as a minor footnote in the United States section of the page, I would change it to combine already existing paragraphs into one comprehensive Decriminalization section and include new sources on the overall page to support the information added.

Decriminalization

In recent years in the United States more and more jurisdictions have begun to consider the possibility of decriminalizing jaywalking.[3][5] Organizations across the United States have sprung up with the aim of decriminalizing the offense. Unfounded safety concerns, racial bias, and impacts to efficient policing are frequently cited by these groups as valid reasons for the crimes removal. Legislators have slowly begun to recognize the momentum behind these movements and in numerous states and cities statutes to repeal or alter traffic code pertaining to jaywalking have been proposed and passed.[7]

In California, after initially striking down decriminalization legislation in 2021[2], Governor Gavin Newson signed into law California AB-2147 what has been termed the “Freedom to Walk Act” on September 30, 2022.[1] This is an assembly bill that bars law enforcement from stopping and citing a pedestrian for “safe mid-block crossings” except in the circumstances where “a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of a collision”.

Virginia and Nevada legislatures also put forward and passed decriminalization statutes. Although less extensive than California’s Assembly Bill 2147, the Virginia and Nevada statutes both make efforts to lessen the criminal severity of jaywalking. On March 1, 2021 Virginia amended its traffic code to partly decriminalize jaywalking.[4] The offense is still considered illegal in Virginia however the amendments made it so that no law enforcement officer is allowed to stop an offender for only jaywalking. On May 25, 2021 Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed into law Nevada AB-403, which alters the criminality of jaywalking.[6] Previously a misdemeanor, in Nevada jaywalking is now considered an infraction, punishable by nothing but a fine of no more than $100. Other smaller legislations such as Kansas City, Missouri have also decriminalized the offense.[7]

Sources:

1) An act to amend Sections 21451, 21452, 21453, 21456, 21461.5, 21462, 21950, 21953, 21954, 21955, ..., 2021 Bill Text CA A.B. 2147 (September 30, 2022). advance-lexis-com.northernkentuckyuniversity.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=statutes-legislation&id= urn:contentItem:66HC-MW01-DY89-M4SK-00000-00&context=1516831 . Accessed October 18, 2023.

2) An act to amend, repeal, and add Sections 21452, 21462, 21950, and 21954 of, to repeal and add ..., 2021 Bill Text CA A.B. 1238 (September 14, 2021). advance-lexis-com.northernkentuckyuniversity.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=statutes-legislation&id= urn:contentItem:63M4-RY71-F7ND-G0PS-00000-00&context=1516831 . Accessed October 24, 2023.

3) “Decriminalization.” LII/Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/wex/decriminalization. Accessed October 18, 2023.

4) § 46.2-923. How and where pedestrians to cross highways., Va. Code Ann. § 46.2-923 (Current through the 2023 Special Session). advance-lexis-com.northernkentuckyuniversity.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=statutes-legislation&id= urn:contentItem:63TX-H841-DYB7-W20B-00000-00&context=1516831 . Accessed October 18, 2023.

5) “Jaywalking.”LII/ Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/jaywalking . Accessed October 20, 2023.

6) 2021 Nev. ALS 91, 2021 Nev. Stat. 91, 2021 Nev. Ch. 91, 2021 Nev. AB 403 (May 25, 2021). advance-lexis-com.northernkentuckyuniversity.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=statutes-legislation&id= urn:contentItem:62SP-CPG1-JW09-M1W5-00000-00&context=1516831 . Accessed October 18, 2023.

7) Wyatt Parker Hough. "COMMENT: STREET RIVALRY REIGNITED? REPEALING THE JAYWALKING PARADIGM." UMKC Law Review, 91, 455 Winter, 2022. advance-lexis-com.northernkentuckyuniversity.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=analytical-materials&id= urn:contentItem:67WB-WYX1-JC8V-4555-00000-00&context=1516831 . Accessed October 18, 2023. Borchersg1 (talk) 14:20, 27 October 2023 (UTC)[ reply]