Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced steps his state would be taking to preserve law and order on Thursday, unveiling before the Miami Police Benevolent Association several proposed changes to the Sunshine State’s criminal justice laws, including one that would make child rapists eligible for the death penalty.
Citing the “Parkland Massacre,” the governor recalled how school shooter Nikolas Cruz was served a life sentence because the jurors in the case couldn’t reach a unanimous agreement to sentence him to death.
Cruz, DeSantis said, was “obviously guilty,” but “you have, like, one juror that did not want to do capital punishment.”
“And that requirement was really based off an old Florida Supreme Court decision that has since been overturned,” he explained.
“One juror should not be able to veto that,” DeSantis stated. “I don’t think justice was served in that case. If you’re going to have capital [punishment], you have to administer it to the worst of the worst crimes.”
“So,” he continued, “we’re going to be working with the legislature to reform that statute so that, yes, it should be the vast majority, super majority, but you don’t want to have where one jerk… [gets] on the jury if they oppose capital [punishment]… and maybe scuttle it.”
(Video: YouTube)
DeSantis went on to say he wants to be sure convicted child rapists serve a minimum of a life sentence in prison and are eligible for the death penalty, according to Fox News.
He then turned his attention to the fentanyl crisis and proposed that those trafficking so-called “rainbow” fentanyl, which looks much like candy, face harsher punishments.
“In just two days in August, Customs and Border Patrol seized more than a quarter of a million multi-colored fentanyl pills, and we’re going to take action against this, because this is really targeting our youngest and most vulnerable kids,” DeSantis said.
The governor said Florida will “make it a first-degree felony to possess, sell, or manufacture fentanyl or other controlled substances to look like candy.”
“And I’m going to add a mandatory life sentence and one-million-dollar penalty if you’re targeting children with this type of fentanyl,” DeSantis vowed to enthusiastic applause.
He also said he will add an additional 20 million dollars in his upcoming budget recommendations “in local support funding for law enforcement agencies to increase efforts to interdict and apprehend the illicit sale and trafficking of fentanyl.”
To stop the revolving door of arrested suspects being released back on the streets to potentially commit more crimes while they await trial, DeSantis said Florida will also be limiting “who is eligible for release prior to the first appearance.”
Judges, he said, will be “the ultimate decision maker when it comes to detention.”
“We just want to make sure in Florida that we understand how important it is to have safe communities,” the governor told his audience. “We understand the policies need to be strong support for local law enforcement, but we’ve got to do what we can to continue to build off the success.”
DeSantis said he believes he’ll have “great support” in Florida’s legislature and said that members of the law enforcement community “have been very, very favorable.”
“So,” he stated optimistically, “I look forward to getting all this done over the next few months.”
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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