It’s good to see this Law finally making it’s way to the governor. It took to long to get this far.

Legislature Sends “Granny’s Law” To Governor

ALBANY—The New York State Senate has given final legislative passage to a bill that would impose stiffer penalties for physical attacks on senior citizens.

The “Granny’s Law” legislation was first passed last year following last year’s brutal attacks on Rose Morat, a 101-year-old Queens woman who was mugged on her way to church. The same attacker went on to beat and mug 85-year-old Solange Elizee just a half an hour later.

“A person capable of committing cowardly attacks against our seniors is not just a mugger — they are a danger to society and should be behind bars for as long as possible,” said Sen Martin Golden, (R-C Brooklyn) bill sponsor and chairman of the Senate Task Force on Critical Choices.

“We cannot allow seniors to be targeted and assaulted simply because they are not physically able to defend themselves,” said Sen. Serphin Maltese, former Queens assistant district attorney and deputy chief of the Homicide Bureau. “When anyone gets mugged and assaulted, I consider it to be a serious crime, but assaulting the elderly is an outrageous and potentially life-threatening crime that clearly calls out for more severe penalties. We have an obligation to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”

Under current law, it is a Class A misdemeanor to cause physical harm to another person. This bill would elevate the assault of a person 65 years of age or older when the perpetrator is more than 10 years younger than the victim to second degree assault, a Class D violent felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.

The bill will be sent to the Governor for his consideration.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Codes Committee Chair Joseph Lentol welcomed the Senate’s decision to pass legislation, already approved by the Assembly, to help curb predatory attacks on New York’s elderly.

“Violent crimes against the elderly are particularly heinous acts of cowardice. I congratulate the Senate for joining the Assembly Majority in safeguarding seniors from harm and addressing the needs that arise from victimization of the elderly,” said Silver. “We look forward to the Governor signing this legislation and protecting our senior population.”

Unlike the bill introduced by the Senate last year, this bill raises assault against seniors from a class A misdemeanor to a class D violent felony, rather than the lesser charge of an E violent felony. Silver also noted the Senate bill only applied to those 70 years of age or older.

The Assembly passed an elder abuse package earlier in the month to protect the estimated 30,000 seniors in New York who are victims of some sort of abuse or exploitation each year and calls on the Senate to pass those bills as well. 3-22-08