Florida bill aims to make child custody exchanges safer after mother murdered - WCJB

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB/FLORIDA CAPITOL BUREAU) - Florida state lawmakers will consider a proposal aimed at making custody exchanges safer.

The bill known as Cassie's Law, would make every sheriff's office in the state a safe location for parents to swap custody of their kids. Right now, the courts often use other locations, such as shopping centers for this to happen.

"We're going to make these custody exchanges safe, we're going to make them more secure," Rep. Joel Rudman, (R) Navarre, said.

The law is named after Cassie Carli who disappeared from Navarre Beach after dropping off her child with her ex-boyfriend last year. Her body was found in a shallow grave in Alabama about a week later.

"She always said if something happens to me, it's him. She was terrified of Marcus," Cassie's friend Stacy Cole said.

Cold said Cassie's ex Marcus Spanevelo would often change the location where they exchanged custody, including to Navarre Beach when no one else was around.

"At that point, he had never physically harmed her, he was very psychologically controlling, very manipulative," Cole said.

Rep. Rudman said that having these exchanges happen at sheriff's offices, could potentially save lives.

"When people threaten their ex, when they threaten their kids, we have a zero-tolerance policy here in the state of Florida. We're going to defend our families, we're going to defend our children," Rep. Rudman said.

Some sheriff's offices are already safe exchange locations, including the Leon County Sheriff's office in Tallahassee.

"If you come to exchange a child, they're there to keep the peace to make sure nothing happens to you while you are exchanging that child," Leon County Assistant Sheriff Steve Harrelson said.

If the proposal does become law, it would require every sheriff's office in the state to install a purple light outside to mark the location and to honor all domestic violence survivors.

"It will literally save lives. I believe that wholeheartedly," Cole said.

A similar bill passed the House earlier this year but failed in the Senate.

Marcus Spanevelo is charged in connection to Cassie's death. He's scheduled to stand trial in January, just after the legislative session begins.

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