Rep. Joel Rudman announces bill in Cassie Carli's honor for safer child custody exchanges

On an overcast and foggy Thursday evening on Navarre Beach, dozens of people gathered in honor of Cassie Carli, who was found dead in 2022, but most held hope after a state representative announced a pending Florida-wide change.

Dr. Joel Rudman, R-Navarre, announced during the vigil that he filed a bill, dubbed the "Cassie Carli Law," seeking to increase security for single mothers in Florida during child custody exchanges.

Carli was allegedly kidnapped by her former partner, Marcus Spanevelo, on March 27 during a custody exchange of their daughter in Navarre. A week later her body was found in a shallow grave in Alabama.

"I was probably like most of you sitting here today — checking news reports every single day hoping against hope that we would get some good news," Rudman said during the vigil. "Well, it's been a year almost, and I know it's not much but I'm here to give you a little good news tonight."

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Rudman said that he filed House Bill 1031 in Tallahassee on Wednesday, which would amend Florida’s statutes to provide county-mandated spaces for parents to meet to exchange custody of their children, which Rudman says is one of the most important pieces of his newly filed bill.

If HB 1031 were to pass, it stipulates that the board of county commissioners in each county “shall designate at least one sheriff’s office, or substation thereof, as a safe exchange location” where parents sharing custody of a child “may meet in the parking lot to exchange custody of such child.”

The sheriff’s station must also include “adequate lighting and external video” 24 hours a day, seven days a week and must meet the following criteria:

• A purple light on the parking lot premises to identify the safe exchange location.

• At least one camera to record in the vicinity of the purple light, displaying the time and date.

• The camera must retain surveillance for 45 days.

If parents choose to use the designated “safe exchange location,” the bill outlines that neither of the parents can “be found in violation of his or her parenting plan or time-sharing schedule, or charged with the offense of interference with the parenting plan.”

The bill also prevents parents from legal liability if they choose to use the county's designated safe exchange area rather than a judge-appointed area, and parents would not need a judge's permission to use the designated area.

While not charged with the murder, Spanevelo was indicted by a federal grand jury on a kidnapping resulting in death charge related to Carli's disappearance and subsequent death.

What does the "Cassie Carli Law" mean to family and the community?

Cassie's father, Andy, spoke briefly about his family, thanking everyone for the outpouring of support and the continued support as the new bill enters the House.

"Again, I can't thank you enough for your support, and I ask you to continue to stand with me and my family," Andy said during the event. "Since this episode, it has been my greatest pride to see how Raeann (Cassie's younger sister) has grown and has taken care of her sister's daughter, and it humbles me inside."

Since Cassie's disappearance, the Navarre community has stood by the Carli family and helped in every way possible.

"This is in the scariest way relatable, and I'm here to support and show my respect to the family," said Katherine Shoemaker as she sat next to her young daughter. "I really am relieved that they're (working on) this bill so that all people who are doing custody changes ... can have a safe place where they won't be scared to do exchanges."

Tamara Fountain, co-owner of Windjammers on the Pier, said Cassie's case hit close to home and she is a staunch advocate for Rudman's legislation after the "devastating" incident that happened nearly one year ago.

"So many of the young people that work here were close friend with her, and she was a beach girl, her daughter loved the beach so they spent a lot of time here," Fountain said. "(This bill) is desperately needed. And I think that it's a really good conversation starter, because it's just the beginning.

"A lot of well-meaning people pass laws and policy, and sometimes there's blind spots," she added. "This has called a lot of attention to something that needed to be fixed."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Rep. Joel Rudman files 'Cassie Carli Law' to make custody exchanges safe