“that it is worth getting law on the books, and only the appeals courts are capable of that.”
No that’s the role of the Legislature.
Understood, but whatever the legislature puts out ends up being run through the courts, and the courts, by dealing with cases, add a layer to what the statutes mean.
This is the first time this sort of case made it to a guilty verdict. If she had been acquitted, that would be the end of it, and talking mentally weak people into suicide would be "acceptable" in the eyes of the law.
Not that many people would or do that sort of thing, just that they could do so with little risk of being called to answer for it. The rate or number of people who do it is so small that legislatures aren;t apt to deal with it. There is no public outcry against persons who talk weak people into suicide, so it isn;t even on the legisltures radar.
It might be, after this case, They might legalize it, for all I know. The appellate court can legalize it too, by reversing the trial court.