A new law, named after a murdered East Valley teenager, is being proposed to streamline the process for filing charges in specific assault cases and to increase the severity of penalties.
House Bill 2611, also known as “Preston’s Law,” honors the memory of Preston Lord, a 16-year-old who tragically lost his life after a brutal assault at a Halloween party in Queen Creek in 2023.
According to a news release, the proposed bill, HB 2611, aims to enhance the criteria for aggravated assault charges.
In cases of assault involving two or more accomplices, there would be additional provisions that lead to “enhanced penalties.” This means that the severity of the charge would be escalated to a class four felony, resulting in a longer prison sentence.
During a news conference on Thursday afternoon, Maricopa County attorney Rachel Mitchell explained the importance of a class four felony compared to a class six felony. She emphasized that unlike a class six felony, a class four felony cannot be reduced to a misdemeanor. Mitchell highlighted these concerns with the current law.
State Representative Matt Gress, a Republican from Phoenix, partnered with Mitchell to present the bill.
“This legislation has been introduced in direct response to the devastating events that affected the Lord family and our community. It is designed to ensure that offenders are held accountable for their actions and to send a clear message that such acts will not be tolerated,” explained Gress. “The bill specifically addresses the increasing issue of organized violence and criminal activity within our neighborhoods.”
Members of Lord’s family were also present at the event.
Autumn Curiel, the mother of Lord, expressed her pride in her son and his promising future before he was tragically assaulted. She believes that if Preston had been able to protect himself during the violent attack, he could have fulfilled all of his hopes and dreams.
Seven teenagers were later charged in connection with Lord’s murder. According to investigators, some of the suspects are also linked to other incidents of teen violence in the East Valley.
Gress teamed up with the county attorney and Queen Creek town leaders in the autumn of last year to engage in discussions regarding the implementation of stricter laws to tackle teen violence. Mitchell specifically emphasized the issue of “swarming,” which refers to instances where a group of teenagers collectively target and attack another individual, typically another teenager.
The lawmaker expressed their endorsement of House Bill 2653, which aims to protect the confidentiality of witnesses in law enforcement cases. The bill states that if there is a reasonable expectation that revealing the victim’s name will lead to harassment, threats to their safety, or tampering with witnesses, then their identity should remain confidential.