Florida Lawmakers Prepare to Pass Measure to Allow Death Penalty for Pedophiles
Lawmakers in Florida are considering passing a bill that will allow for the death penalty as a punishment for pedophiles found guilty of sexually abusing young children. The Senate version of the Bill (SB 1342) was cleared on Tuesday by the Rules Committee, while the House will consider their version of the bill (HB 1297) before presenting it to the full Senate for consideration.
For years, child rapists and those found guilty of sexual abuse have been prohibited from being executed according to the US Supreme Court and Florida Supreme Court rulings.
Both the House and Senate bills, however, state that past decisions made by courts such as the U.S Supreme Court in 2008 and Florida Supreme Court in 1981 prohibiting death penalty for such crimes had been “wrongly decided.”
The proposals have drawn criticism, with some arguing that a sentence of life imprisonment without parole was already a harsh and severe punishment for pedophiles. Others felt that the death penalty was an extreme measure and would only lead to a longer, costlier legal battle for the victims.
Despite this, the bill has received support from both Republicans and Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, head of the Lauren’s Kids advocacy organization, who was herself a victim of sexual abuse as a child.
If the legislation is passed, however, imposing the death penalty will require the recommendation of eight out of twelve jurors, while the judge will have the discretion to hand down death sentence or life imprisonment.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has thrown his support behind the bill, saying he would sign it into law if passed.
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