DeSantis indicators dying penalty, crime payments as 2024 run looms

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a invoice permitting the dying penalty in baby rape convictions, regardless of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned capital punishment in such instances.

DeSantis, a Republican, additionally signed two different elements of his legal justice legislative bundle throughout a ceremony at a policing museum in a metropolis exterior Orlando.

The governor, who is predicted to announce a run for president within the coming weeks, has leaned into an aggressive conservative agenda on crime and different points forward of his anticipated candidacy as he seeks to bolster assist among the many Republican base.

The signings got here as DeSantis has confronted widespread criticism over his battle with Disney and marked his first look after an abroad commerce mission, with the routinely on-message governor returning to practiced rhetoric about his means to implement conservative coverage.

“We’re really delivering a big agenda,” he stated. “So this is one important – but admittedly very small part – of an overall large agenda and very bold agenda that’s really setting the terms of the debate for the country, quite frankly.”

The dying penalty regulation DeSantis signed is meant to get the conservative-controlled U.S. Supreme Court to rethink a 2008 ruling that discovered it unconstitutional to make use of capital punishment in baby sexual battery instances.

Florida is amongst a handful of states with current legal guidelines that permit for capital punishment on baby rape convictions however has not used the punishment given the excessive courtroom ruling. The Florida Supreme Court has additionally dominated towards the usage of capital punishment in sexual battery convictions.

The laws, which fits into impact Oct. 1, would authorize the state to pursue capital punishment when an grownup is convicted of sexually battering a toddler underneath 12 and supplies a framework within the state’s capital punishment legal guidelines for prosecutors to take action. It was permitted within the Florida Legislature with bipartisan assist.

DeSantis stated he believed the Supreme Court’s determination was “wrong,” including, “This bill sets up a procedure to be able to challenge that precedent and to be able to say that in Florida we think that the worst of the worst crimes deserve the worst of the worst punishment.”

Late final month, DeSantis additionally signed a invoice to finish a unanimous jury requirement in dying penalty sentencing, permitting capital punishment with jury suggestion of a minimum of 8-4 in favor of execution.

The governor on Wednesday additionally signed into regulation a invoice to boost legal penalties across the promoting of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs which might be packaged or disguised within the type of sweet or different meals merchandise.

The third invoice DeSantis signed requires the Florida Supreme Court to develop a uniform bond schedule for state courts to comply with and bars a chief choose from setting bond under the schedule. It additionally forbids an individual from being launched earlier than his or her first courtroom look if charged with a violent or heinous crime. The regulation is a part of DeSantis’ criticism of so-called bail reforms in liberal jurisdictions.