Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed stronger punishments for convicted child rapists that would bring a minimum of life in prison and the possibility of the death penalty.
DeSantis announced the proposed changes to the state’s criminal justice laws on Thursday.
The changes include making child rapists eligible for the death penalty and reducing the number of jurors required to dole out capital punishment.
“They (sexual predators) will do whatever they can to satiate themselves at the expense of very, very vulnerable people,” DeSantis said in a statement on Thursday.
“I believe the only appropriate punishment that would be commensurate to that would be capital.”
“In Florida, we are taking steps to preserve law & order by enhancing accountability for criminals, combatting human smuggling, and protecting Floridians from fentanyl,” DeSantis tweeted with a flyer detailing his anti-crime legislative proposals.
In Florida, we are taking steps to preserve law & order by enhancing accountability for criminals, combatting human smuggling and protecting Floridians from fentanyl. pic.twitter.com/PynRY1dRc0
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 26, 2023
Gov. DeSantis addressed law & order concerns Thursday at the Miami Police Benevolent Association.
WATCH:
Preserving Law & Order in Florida https://t.co/kT4rbl3NL5
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 26, 2023
WPBF reports:
In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, held that the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment prevented the death penalty for child rapists. That was based in part on a 1977 decision.
“DeSantis said he doesn’t think the current U.S. Supreme Court would uphold the ruling that barred the death penalty in rape cases,” the outlet noted.
“We understand that it will be challenged, but I think it’s right for us to challenge … a decision that wasn’t well thought out, was very narrowly decided,” DeSantis said.
Meanwhile, DeSantis said he will ask lawmakers to require at least life sentences for convicted child rapists and to expand a list of sex offenses that would make inmates ineligible for gain time, which can lead to early release.
DeSantis cited the case of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz for eliminating the unanimous jury vote requirement for the death penalty.
Florida’s death penalty should not require a unanimous jury vote.
The law needs to be changed and @GovRonDeSantis is leading the fight on this very important issue. https://t.co/l4PxEcLHRc
— Nick Miller 🇺🇸 (@NickMillerMAGA) January 25, 2023
BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis proposes a plan to reform statute so that one juror can’t prevent the death penalty
This is in response to the Parkland shooter being sentenced to prison instead of the death penalty
— Lydia Nusbaum (@LydiaNusbaum) January 26, 2023
Citing the case of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz, who was spared execution last year after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on capital punishment, DeSantis said that only the vast majority or a supermajority of a jury should be required to issue a death sentence, Fox News reported.
“One juror should not be able to veto that,” DeSantis said at the Miami Police Benevolent Association.
“I don’t think justice was served in that case.
“If you’re going to have capital, you have to administer it to the worst of the worst crimes.”
Several family members of the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting spoke out against the jury’s decision.
Dr. Ilan Alhadeff, whose 14-year-old daughter was murdered by Cruz, said he was “disgusted with those jurors” and “disgusted with this system.”
“What do we have the death penalty for?” Alhadeff said after Cruz received life in prison.
“What is the purpose of it?”
