Lawmakers Introduce Bill in Response to Videotaped Beating of Homeless Man

Assembly Republican Whip Dave Rible, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini and Assembly Republican Conference Leader Jon Bramnick are pledging to sponsor legislation to increases penalties and mandate jail time for videotaping and distributing the recording of an assault.

The bill is in response to a recent attack in which an adult and a teenager beat David Ivins, a homeless man in Wall Township while they videotaped and then posted the attack on the Internet. Police say the accused followed and attacked a homeless man in a wooded area of Wall Township. They beat the man and then stole his bike while they openly mocked him, videotaping the whole incident as it occurred.

Rible says, “The action taken by these two boys is completely outrageous and calls for serious jail time. There needs to be severe repercussions put into place to ensure that no one else attempts to reenact this inexcusable attack on an innocent person.”

The measure has not yet been drafted and Rible says he and his co-sponsors haven’t determined the length of the mandatory jail time.