Governor DeSantis signs death penalty, crime bills

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill allowing the death penalty in child rape convictions, despite a US Supreme Court ruling that banned capital punishment in such cases DeSantis, a Republican, also signed two other components of his criminal justice legislative package during a ceremony at a policing museum in a city outside Orlando

“We’re really delivering a big agenda,” he said “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 death penalty law DeSantis signed is

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PBS releases mini doc on Jamaican American DJ, Walshy Fire intended to get the conservative-controlled US Supreme Court to reconsider a 2008 ruling that found it unconstitutional to use capital punishment in child sexual battery cases Florida is among a handful of states with

Skin Cancer Awareness: The Importance of annual checks existing laws that allow for capital punishment on child rape convictions but has not used the punishment given the high court ruling The Florida Supreme Court has also ruled against the use of capital punishment in sexual battery convictions

The legislation, which goes into effect October 1, would authorize the state to pursue capital punishment when an adult is convicted of sexually battering a child under 12 and provides a framework in the state’s capital punishment laws for prosecutors to do so It was approved in the Florida Legislature with bipartisan support

DeSantis said he believed the the Supreme

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Court’s decision was “wrong,” adding, “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 last month, DeSantis also signed a bill to end a unanimous jury requirement in death penalty sentencing, allowing capital punishment with jury recommendation of at least 8-4 in favor of execution

The governor on Wednesday also signed into law a bill to enhance criminal penalties around the selling of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs that are packaged or disguised in the form of candy or other food products

Miami

Linda Julien kicks off her Arbor Day Tour of City Hall with students of Bunche Park Elementary School. This iniave is aimed at educang students on the role of local government and environmental sustainability. Every student was gied a plant at the end of the field trip. (Photo: City