What’s Happening:
DeSantis has been on a roll signing pro-public safety, anti-crime legislation. In his third package, he has three new bills – and one of them defies a SCOTUS precedent.
The question of whether to allow capital punishment for heinous crimes is a controversial one. Although the Supreme Court decided against it except under special circumstances, a state government can choose to not agree with a SCOTUS decision.
DeSantis has taken the liberty to do exactly that. And the goal? To protect children.
From Fox News:
Besides the measure aimed at making convicted child rapists eligible for capital punishment, with the minimum sentence of life in prison without parole, the two other bills will impose additional penalties on fentanyl and drug-related crimes targeted at children. Their aim is to protect Floridians from Democrat-supported bail reforms in liberal jurisdictions.
The SCOTUS precedent he is opposing is Kennedy v. Louisiana, which prohibited the death penalty for criminals with child victims under age 12. The exception was for those who also murdered their victims. But it’s not the first time conservatives defied a SCOTUS decision that harms children, and it won’t be the last.
We can take the example of Roe v. Wade. Since it was overturned last year, individual conservative states are deciding to exercise their own legislation. One of the arguments by liberals was that conservatives should support the safety of underaged mothers who were forcibly impregnated by going after their offenders.
Color them shocked, because they agreed. And Florida is putting its foot down when it comes to the worst criminals that harm children.
When we’re talking about repeat offenders who cannot be reformed, or who target the youngest and most vulnerable children, such bills let the country know that capital punishment is the only way to stop them. What is likely to happen is that with a conservative majority, the Supreme Court will reconsider its decision and possibly even overturn it.
Key Takeaways:
- DeSantis just signed a new bill allowing the death penalty for child rapists, effective Oct. 1st.
- The new bill defies the SCOTUS precedent Kennedy v. Louisiana, which did not allow the death penalty.
- SCOTUS has also ruled against capital punishment for sexual battery convictions.
Source: Fox News
