Ron DeSantis says death is the only 'appropriate' punishment for predators who rape 'six and seven-year-old kids': Florida Governor pushes bill to make child sex rapes capital offenses

Daily Mail UK ^ | April 17, 2023 | Emily Goodin,

[Morgana]

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing a tough-on-crime agenda ahead of an expected presidential bid with his support for two bills in the state legislature, including one that would challenge the U.S. Supreme Court.

DeSantis is backing a bill that would authorize the death penalty for child rapists. Under the legislation, a jury - by a vote of at least 8-4 - can recommend a death sentence for sexual battery on a child under age 12.

'We are authorizing the death penalty for child rapists,' DeSantis said Monday morning during an interview with an Orlando radio state. 'My view is you have some of these people that will be serial rapists of six, seven-year-old kids. I think the death penalty is the only appropriate punishment when you have situations like that.'

DeSantis is touting his crime credentials - a message Republicans found effective in the 2022 midterm election - with his support for a series of bills in the state Capitol.

The Florida governor has slammed Democratic 'soft-on-crime' policies and 'woke ideology' in other states as he pushes his own vision for America.

His crackdown comes ahead of an expected announcement he's running for president

He told the Orlando radio station that he thinks the current high court would hear a challenge to the older ruling on the death penalty for child rape. Many of the justices that made that ruling are no longer on the bench,

'I think we're right at the law and I think that its current court would consider a challenge to that,' he said.

He's also pushing a second death penalty measure that would remove the requirement that only a unanimous jury can issue the death penalty.

[Dr. Sivana]

Yup. Overturning bad decisions like that is worth doing.

[DrewsMum]

That’s for adults. Not children. It never addressed child rape.

[Dr. Sivana]

Kennedy v. Louisiana is from 2008 and covers child rape. No death penalty.

[DrewsMum]

But first time offenses. There are 6 states with this statute for repeat offenders that hasn’t been addressed. Not fully.
Correct me if I’m wrong.

[Dr. Sivana]

Correct me if I’m wrong.
The decision noted that the other states (not Louisiana) applied to those with previous rape convictions, but the wording of the Court carved out no exceptions and did NOT state that distinction was enough, only making the blanket statement "the death penalty should not be expanded to instances where the victim's life was not taken".

That said, this was a 5-4 Justice Kennedy Special, and if Roe v. Wade can be revisited both Coker and Kennedy v. Louisiana can be as well. The fact that none of the other states have tried to exercise the Death Penalty for such crimes is telling.