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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Son-of-Sam law
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A quick definition of Son-of-Sam law:
A Son-of-Sam law is a rule made by the government that stops criminals from making money by selling their stories to writers or filmmakers. This law was made because a man named David Berkowitz, who was a killer, was offered a lot of money to tell his story. The law lets the government take the money the criminal would have made and give it to the people who were hurt by the crime. The law was first made in New York in 1977, but in 1992, the highest court in America said it was not fair to stop people from talking about their lives. Many states changed their laws after that so they would be fair.
A more thorough explanation:
The Son-of-Sam law is a state law that prevents convicted criminals from making money by selling their story rights to publishers or filmmakers. This law allows prosecutors to seize any royalties earned by the criminal and place them in an escrow account for the benefit of the victim of the crime.
The Son-of-Sam law was first enacted in New York in 1977 after David Berkowitz, a serial killer who called himself "Son of Sam," was offered lucrative book deals. However, in 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court declared New York's Son-of-Sam law unconstitutional as it was seen as a regulation of speech. This led many states to amend their laws to avoid similar issues.
For example, if a convicted murderer writes a book about their crime and tries to sell the rights to a publisher, the Son-of-Sam law would prevent them from profiting from their crime. Instead, any money earned would go towards helping the victim of the crime.