Florida legislature passes legislation that removes unanimous juror consent requirement for dying penalty

The Florida House of Representatives handed a legislation Thursday that may enable the imposition of the dying penalty as long as a minimum of eight out of 12 jurors authorised the punishment.

The Florida Senate handed their equal of the invoice on March 30.

The push to finish unanimous jury consent for Florida dying penalty circumstances started when Nikolas Cruz, who killed 17 fellow college students in a capturing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14, 2018, obtained a life sentence with out parole.

The jury had reached a 9-3 impasse on whether or not or to not have Cruz executed.

“We all grieve for the families of Parkland and that community. But what that verdict did do was expose a flaw in the current system. If a monster like that, who commits heinous crimes like that, does not deserve and get the death penalty, then what do we have a death penalty for?” State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, eleventh District Republican, mentioned shortly earlier than the Florida Senate invoice handed.

State Rep. Berny Jacques, Seminole Republican and sponsor of the invoice, tweeted Friday that “You simply cannot allow a small handful of activist jurors to derail the full administration of justice when individuals are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and meet the qualifications for the death penalty. To do so would be simply a travesty.” 

If and when the invoice is signed into legislation by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida will be part of Alabama, Indiana, and Missouri in not requiring unanimous jury consent for executions.

Indiana and Missouri enable for the decide’s discretion within the occasion of a divided jury, whereas Alabama maintains a 10-2 threshold.

Detractors of the invoice identified what number of dying row inmates find yourself being exonerated.