A Son of Sam law is any American law that keeps criminals from profiting from the publicity of their crimes. They could otherwise do this by selling their story to a publisher, for instance. In some cases, Son of Sam laws can extend to friends, neighbors, and family of the criminal, too. The first Son of Sam law was created in New York and named after the Son of Sam murders committed by serial killer David Berkowitz.
The laws were enacted after it was said that Berkowitz was being offered tons of money by publishers for his story. Many complained that the laws violated the first amendment and took away the incentive for criminals to share their story, when at times it would affect the public, like the Watergate scandal.
After several revisions, New York finally came up with a resolution in 2001. Victims of crimes are required to be notified if the criminal received $10,000 or more from any source. There’s a statute of limitations and victims of crimes are allowed to sue the criminal in civil court.