Thieving vs elderly, disabled now punishable crime

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signed on Monday a bill that would punish those who rob the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Rep. Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan) introduced House Bill 19-81; it is now Public Law 19-80.

Torres signed the bill before leaving to attend this Friday’s inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump.

Torres advised the Legislature, however, to define the degree of disability and whether it refers to mental or physical disability.

Elderly citizens or persons over 55 years old and persons with disabilities are usually vulnerable to theft and other forms of exploitation—through controlling their finances and decision making—either by individuals or institutions. These members of the community, especially the elderly, are also dependent on family members and/or caregivers.

The law aims to prevent a potential increase in the number of cases against the man’amko (elderly) and persons with disability.

Theft of property or service of over $20,000 would merit the individual imprisonment of not more than 10 years. If the value of the item robbed is at least $250 but less than $20,000, the perpetrator would be incarcerated for five years. If the value of the property is less than $250, it will merit imprisonment of one year.

Persons would be imprisoned between one to three years and fined up to $25,000 if the property’s value is $300 or less and the victim, is either at least 55 years old or disabled. Punishment is three to five years in prison and a $25,000 fine if the property’s value is over $300 but less than $5,000.

A five- to seven-year imprisonment and a $25,000 fine will be imposed on a person who robs an elderly or disabled person of property valued at $5,000 or more but less than $50,000; it will be incarceration of seven to 15 years and a fine of up to $25,000 if the property’s value is $50,000 or more.
 
Parking zones

HB 19-80 is another bill that Torres signed last Monday, a measure introduced by Rep. Edwin K. Propst (Ind-Saipan) that aims to establish rules for the creation, removal, and operation of special parking zones and parking meter zones. CNMI laws on special parking zones were deemed vague and required clarification. The Parking Act of 2015 is the other name of PL 19-79.

Propst, according to his bill, states that CNMI laws on disabled parking slots are also unnecessarily technical and has obstructed the Department of Public Safety’s enforcement. The law aims to provide an increase in the enforcement of disabled parking areas. Persons who know that they are parked illegally in disabled parking zones would be punished according to what the law states.

DPS will be authorized in establishing special parking zones by using paint upon curbs or roadways. The colors are red (no stopping, standing, or parking whether the vehicle is attended or unattended with the exception of a bus), yellow (stopping only for the purpose of loading and unloading passengers not more than five minutes, while freight may be loaded and unloaded no longer than 15 minutes), white (for loading and unloading passengers no longer than five minutes or depositing mail in an adjacent mailbox), green (time limited parking slots specified by DPS), and blue (parking space limited to vehicles used by disabled persons).

DPS will also establish parking meters and spaces.