Well, this is an unexpected consequence of the Gabby Petito case. The now-infamous missing person/murder case garnered national attention first due to the brazen suspicious behavior of Brian Laundrie. When it hit the news he came home from a road trip without his fiancée, the internet instantly went wild with theories that he had murdered her — theories which sadly proved to be right in the end.

This rampant speculation was bolstered, of course, by Brian and his parents’ refusal to aid in the investigation. The Laundries became the focus for a great many concerned citizens, who began protesting outside their North Port, Florida home, demanding they tell authorities what they knew about Gabby’s disappearance. This continued for weeks, throughout the manhunt for Brian.

And now Florida lawmakers are looking to make a law to stop that kind of targeted protesting.

Related: Brian Laundrie CLEARED Of Newlywed Couple’s Murder

Florida’s Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill on Monday that would make protesting outside a residence a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Orange County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Mike Crabb spoke in favor of making this specific type of protest illegal, citing the Laundrie case in particular:

“Brian Laundrie, the murderer from southwest Florida, had days and days of protests at … his parents’ house. He’s not an elected official, his parents weren’t elected officials either, but that wasn’t right either.”

Chris and Roberta Laundrie‘s lawyer, Steven Bertolino, spoke out against the protesting after Brian’s remains were found last October, saying his clients had done nothing wrong:

“This protesting. This witch hunt. This mob-style crucifixion of Chris and Roberta is just wrong.”

Well, now. Here’s where we get into a bit of a gray area. The thing is, it’s not clear the protesters were wrong. Brian did kill Gabby, according to the FBI. And their lawyer can say all day long how innocent they are, but the Laundries’ refusal to help the investigation really looks now like they were kind of maybe being accessories after the fact? Not to mention they gave police the wrong date of Brian’s disappearance, and the place they said he was hiking was NOT where he was found… There’s still a lot to be suspicious about here.

Related: Gabby’s Mother KNEW She Was Dead When Brian Showed Up In Florida

Of course, the question is not whether they did wrong. The question is whether these protests were also wrong. While they never did anything more than make some noise and a bit of a mess, this does feel a bit like mob justice.

And this isn’t just about accused criminals.

Senator Keith Perry (R) brought up the story of Brevard County School Board member Jennifer Jenkins, whose bullying went viral. Jenkins simply voted to make wearing masks in school mandatory during the pandemic to try to stop the spread of COVID — and that led to anti-masker protesters gathering to harass her outside her home. Perry detailed:

“The protesters used vile language, argued with her neighbors and even coughed in her face. This is one example of many.”

Coughed in her face?! At a certain point this surely must have violated some other law on the books, right?

Senator Dennis Baxley (R) made the distinction between lawful protests at public places and at the offices of elected officials — and at private residences. He lamented:

“Is there nothing sacred? This thing of personally attacking people and their families to terrorize them, I just don’t want that happening to anyone.”

It’s a fair point. Even suspected murderers and the families who have their backs should be afforded a certain amount of protection, right?

The Laundries maybe aren’t the best example to use to get across this point, but it doesn’t make it any less true. What do YOU think, Perezcious paralegals? Should there be a law against targeted “protesting” outside of private homes?

[Image via FOX13/YouTube/Gabby Petito/Instagram.]

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