Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a tough-on-crime agenda ahead of the upcoming legislative session, including proposals to expand the death penalty to certain types of sex crimes and mandating life sentences for people convicted of selling fentanyl that looks like candy to children.
“We want to make sure that we cement our reputation as being a law-and-order state and take actions as necessary to help further protect the people of the state of Florida,” he said during a news conference Thursday at the Miami Police Benevolent Association hall. Police officers from several Miami-Dade cities, including Hialeah and Coral Gables, were in the audience.
The governor, reiterating comments he made earlier this week, said a supermajority vote by a jury should be sufficient to impose the death penalty. That would make Florida the second state to allow nonunanimous jury votes for the death penalty, in addition to Alabama.
DeSantis expanded that proposal, saying child sexual abuse — specifically rape — should also be punishable by death, with a minimum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“These people don’t care. They are unrepentant,” DeSantis said. “… I believe the only appropriate punishment that would be commensurate to that would be capital.”
The room responded with applause.
Holy shit, An 18 year old having sex with a 17 year old will have committed statutory rape and be then locked in prison for life at a minimum and possibly be put to death by the state. Parents in FL should be scared for their children.
Wonder if Race car driver Ron with his kiddo Lauren was in the room to support Ron during this. It is his area of course. This is latter Ron’s start to a presidential campaign it appears. It also appears Ron learned from his JAG time that non-unanimous juries work better than unanimous when it comes to getting what he wants (even if AL said this is ok also) since the military employs that (75% minimum to covict) in all instances minus capital cases.
This is the man who is in control of the registrants pardon process being able to get removed after 25 years. Hardly anyone gets off. I do envy other states.
CPAC spelled his name “DeSnatis” and I think all people should always do that. Just seems like it fits him.
Anyway, DeSnatis loves to brag how Floriduh is a “free” state and awesome. But it’s quite the opposite. They LOVE big government, creating as many laws as possible, and controlling as many people as they are possibly able and in as many ways as they are able. Love it.
I’ve said it before, but if a country were actually a free country then no drug would be illegal. It is not DeSnatis’ business what I put into my body. It is not my business what he puts into his body.
The War on Drugs has been an absolute failure. It’s always been counterproductive. It is nothing but out-of-control big government. It’s a business for them.
The Registries are just more trash from the same trashy, big government loving control freaks.
Vote out the big government lovers. End their idiotic, counterproductive harassment.
Didn’t SCOTUS already rule this as unconstitutional in Kennedy v Louisiana?
Sure! Why bother with the constitution or civil rights. Summary execution. Surprised he didn’t recommend public stoning or tying to a poll for burning. Maybe the rack for lesser offenses. He seems to miss the inquisition.
It does seem like one thing is for certain, DeSantis doesn’t see any use for the registry. Just kill them!
Desantis just loves pandering to that hateful crowd of idiots that believes that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness only belongs to them and that anybody that is different from them deserves to be oppressed, imprisoned, or executed in their state.
Well unbeknownst to them the law cuts both ways. What irony it will be when those same hateful idiots be caught by those same laws (they think only apply to people they consider as “deviants”) and then cry foul about their oppressive government?
I hope everyone here realizes that would put the range of penalties for statutory rape from not prosecuted to death. Think about that seriously for a moment. I know that doesn’t matter to many of you here. The state had to prove you had knowledgeable culpability. There was no mistake of fact.
Depending on jurisdiction, there are two distinct ways to be convicted of statutory rape. Both generally involve a postpubescent minor and force is not an element of the crime. The age of consent ranges from 16 to 18. That does put Florida at odds with federal law. What I want to focus on is the issue of strict liability.
The question, put simply, is should one be liable even if the victim pretended to be older? What this means in a courtroom is can you ask the jury that question. Seem pretty fair. You want to provide some evidence as a defense to the alleged crime. You can’t do that everywhere. Some states remove that element, and therefore that defense, by statute.
Even if the state holds evidence that would affirm a mistake of fact defense, and you present that evidence to the jury, the jury must convict and maybe in Florida, put you to death. If that evidence includes efforts as a motive by the victim to misrepresent, lie, steal, hack, blackmail, insist, dupe, promise, con, or otherwise get things, you will still be put to death.
Or, you’re in California and The State doesn’t prosecute because The State must prove mens rea. Two very different outcomes for the exact same set of circumstance. But let’s say you’re convicted of statutory rape. Was it because the state proved you knew the age of the victim? Or because that issue wasn’t even considered? In so far as getting a conviction, my belief is that the two cannot be compared to each other when the element of intent is the differentiating factor.
I’m not suggesting that death is an appropriate sentence for any conviction of statutory rape. I just have an issue with saying strict liability, or not, is all the same. I even have a legal question that would force a court to directly consider that comparison issue.
I do want to be clear that it is because of strict liability that convictions are often secured when they otherwise would not, and that The Governor’s proposal creates a situation where anyone could be put to death merely on an accusation.
Wow, I just did a conversation with the smart AI ChatGPT, and asked it to write an article about the registry. I will post it’s responses below
The sex offender registry is a system in which individuals convicted of certain sex crimes are required to register with their local law enforcement agency. While the intention of the registry is to protect the public from repeat sex offenders, many argue that it is unconstitutional and should be abolished.
One argument against the registry is that it violates the principle of “double jeopardy,” which prohibits an individual from being punished twice for the same crime. Once an individual has served their sentence, they are required to continue to report to the registry, often for the rest of their lives. This can lead to additional penalties, such as housing and employment discrimination, which can effectively extend their punishment beyond their original sentence.
Another argument is that the registry is overly broad and includes individuals who pose little to no risk to the public. For example, many states include individuals convicted of non-violent offenses, such as consensual sex between teenagers, on the registry. This is a violation of the 8th amendment of the U.S Constitution which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
Furthermore, the registry often fails to achieve its intended goal of protecting the public. Studies have shown that individuals on the registry are no more likely to reoffend than those who are not on the registry. In fact, a study by the Minnesota Department of Corrections found that individuals who were not on the registry had a lower recidivism rate than those who were.
Critics also argue that the registry is a form of public shaming and it can cause significant harm to the registrants and their families, especially when it comes to finding a job, housing, and building a healthy social life.
Overall, many experts argue that the sex offender registry is unconstitutional and should be abolished. Instead, they propose alternative methods such as risk-based assessment, which would focus on individuals who are actually a danger to the public and provide them with treatment and support, rather than simply punishing them.
It’s important to note that the laws and policies regarding sex offender registry vary by state and country, the above information may not be accurate for all areas and it is also important to consider that abolishing the registry is a complex issue that requires a thorough examination of all the facts and the laws that govern it, as well as a rethinking of the best ways to prevent sexual crimes.
Then I said:
“You forgot about how some individuals use the registry as a kind of hit list. So they can hunt down and kill people on the registry and think they are a hero”:
Thank you for bringing this important point to my attention. Indeed, one of the significant criticisms of the sex offender registry is that it can be used as a “hit list” by vigilantes seeking to harm or harm registrants. This is a serious concern as it can lead to violence and even death of registrants and their families.
The registry is often public and easily accessible online, which means that anyone can access the information and use it to track down and harm registrants. This is a violation of the rights to privacy and security of registrants and their families, and it also undermines the purpose of the registry which is supposed to protect public safety.
Additionally, it’s important to note that some individuals on the registry may be falsely accused or convicted, which can lead to them being targeted by vigilantes who believe they are guilty of a crime. This highlights the importance of ensuring that the registry is accurate and up-to-date to prevent innocent people from being targeted.
In conclusion, the problem of vigilantism is a significant one that must be taken into account when evaluating the effectiveness of the sex offender registry. It highlights the need for alternative methods that prioritize the protection of registrants and their families, while also ensuring public safety.
Remember, all of this was written by an AI in a matter of seconds with only the subject matter to go off of.
Kind of sad how even a computer gets it, and the people running the courts have too slow of processors in their heads.
He is just pandering and talking fluff. At present the definition of rape is so vague and varied that there is no way this could be upheld and he knows that.
This is making my point about the difference between the Party of QAnon and the Democrats. Steer way clear of the Red States, folks. Blue States are bad enough but they take it to a whole ‘nother level over there.
And people thought Nazi references were too strong. Now we will start to see this agenda come unmasked. Perhaps next will be death penalty for registry violations. He declared this with such enthusiasm and with such affirmation that I’m sure D-boy will not stop until he’s put everyone he can in the ground.
For the love of humanity, please everyone make sure you tell your families not to let this twisted man occupy the big chair in 2024.
I read that his next bill will make any thing but missionary positions while reading biblical passages a class 1 felony with the woman having to be branded with a the scarlet letter on her forehead. Also holding your child’s hand for any reason besides crossing a street if you are gay will be prosecuted as sexual initiation and assault.
I don’t understand how people can be as murdering and blood thirsty as this man and still get in office.