Source: idahocapitalsun.com 3/17/25
As lawmakers anticipate court challenge, Idaho Republican House legislative leader says U.S. Supreme Court was wrong
The Idaho House on Monday unanimously passed a bill to allow the death penalty for adults who sexually abuse children age 12 and younger in Idaho.
Similar to his bill that stalled last year, House Bill 380, cosponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, would allow the death penalty in a new criminal charge the bill creates: aggravated lewd conduct with children age 12 and younger.
Skaug’s bill also would add mandatory minimum prison sentences for cases of aggravated lewd conduct with minors — which would only apply to abuse of children age 16 and below — that don’t meet the bill’s proposed criteria for death penalty eligibility.
“Unfortunately, Idaho has some of the widest or most lenient statutes on rape of a child in the nation,” Skaug told House lawmakers.
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“You can say, ‘Well, that’s unconstitutional, Bruce. Why would you bring that?’ Well, it was — according to a 5-4 decision in 2008. I don’t think that would be the case today,” Skaug, an attorney, told lawmakers on the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee last week. “That’s my professional opinion. That’s the opinion of many other attorneys.”
[Idaho registrants and supporters, take action! Call, write, and show up to your senators and governor]
Here’s Skaug’s Facebook page. I think it’s time we give this a**hole a piece of our minds.
Aggravating factors (you need three to get the death penalty):
Idahoans get off on harming human beings who cannot defend themselves, be they alleged child victims or the accused. Remember this about Idaho and it’s products and services.
The Death Penalty is either reserved only to murder, or it is not. If it is not, it can be applied to any crime the Legislature wishes.
Today the legislature wishes to include certain sexual assaults, but what will be included tomorrow? Any SO of child of any age, so long as….
Any Child SO provided…
All SO…
Any violent act, that results…
All violent Felonies…
Any Violent act…
All Felonies…
All crimes…
It either is limited exclusively to murder, or it is not. If this limitation can be eliminated, any limitation can be. If any limitation can be, all can be.
Limits are only meaningful if they are absolute. The moment you allow yourself the privilege of justifying your way around the limit, it ceases to be a “Limit” and becomes a “Requirement to Justify”. Once you give yourself the ability to Justify, you can start working on the “Threshold Requirements” necessary to be achieve “Justified” status.
The thresholds are never more than you require them to be, thus creating more “Limitations” that you “Justify” your way around. This system is generally doomed to failure when done individually, now try doing it in a group. 😁
Don’t believe this would pass constitutional muster in fed court when challenged given precedent on it and previously mentioned here in this forum by others who are wise on the topic.
Bruce, you need to be disbarred you ole goat.
Idaho is also home to more White Nationalist militias than all the other states combined. This should tell you something about their political leanings. They are a proven ultra right wing state.