Miami, May 1 (EFE).- The governor of Florida, Republican Ron DeSantis, signed three laws on Monday that seek to strengthen “law and order” in this southern US state, among which is a regulation which establishes the death penalty for rapists of minors.
The package of measures also includes a law that sets a minimum of 25 years and up to life in prison, in addition to a fine of one million dollars, for traffickers who disguise fentanyl as candy and other forms of manufacturing this powerful drug. that may cause harm to minors.
“Part of doing it right is anticipating things before they happen,” DeSantis said in the city of Titusville during the act for the signing of this legislative package, in which he was accompanied by state attorney Ashley Moody and the county sheriff. of Brevard, Wayne Ivey.
“We continue to implement measures to protect our communities and keep Florida safe, with a particular emphasis on keeping criminals in jail and punishing pedophiles as much as possible,” said the governor, who, according to various sources, will announce this month his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 election.
The HB 1297 regulation, which sets a minimum of life imprisonment for those who commit sexual crimes against minors under 12 years of age, conflicts with a 2008 ruling by the US Supreme Court, known as Kennedy v. Louisiana, and which determines that it is unconstitutional to execute someone for a crime other than murder.
The law signed today contains a procedure to challenge judicial precedents that “have unfairly protected child molesters from the death penalty and denied victims and their loved ones the opportunity to seek final justice,” according to a statement from the office. of the governor
The third rule strengthens pretrial detention by preventing the release before trial of certain arrestees, such as habitual criminals or accused of some violent crimes, and calls on the state Supreme Court to establish a uniform set of bail recommendations by the end of the year.
“It’s kind of anti-New York, in terms of what we’re doing,” DeSantis said at the event, meaning the law runs counter to “bail reform” efforts being made in other states.
The rule signed today authorizes the chief judge of a judicial circuit to set a higher bail for a criminal offense than what is determined by the state bail program.
