On Monday, Florida’s new governor, Ron DeSantis, signed a slew of new criminal laws.
One would make it more difficult to trade fentanyl; another would reestablish the death sentence for certain crimes committed by juveniles; and a third would address bail system improvements that liberal attorneys have long requested.
According to DeSantis, “Florida is a law-and-order state” because of the recent tenfold or more drops in homicides, burglaries, and general crime. During the past three legislative sessions, we have passed extremely stringent anti-crime legislation. A major goal for the upcoming legislative session in Florida is strengthening sanctions for sexual predators.
The “bail reforms” addressed by House Bill 1627 are varied in scope and in complexity. For example, the Florida Supreme Court is obligated to provide a decision on a statewide standard bond structure by December 31st.
The amount of bail set by the court should be more than the bare minimum allowed by law. All defendants accused of major or heinous crimes are refused pretrial release, and the state expands its definition of “dangerous crimes” to include more offenses that were previously ineligible for pretrial release.
Under House Bill 1359, the minimum penalty for trafficking “rainbow fentanyl” is 25 years in jail and a $1 million fine. It is a first-degree crime to sell or distribute candy containing fentanyl or a related narcotic.
House Bill 1297 reportedly became law as well after being signed by DeSantis. Criminals who “commit sexual battery against children under the age of 12” shall be executed under the new law.
The governor has stated that he will take the issue of the death penalty for child rapists to the United States Supreme Court “to overturn judicial precedents that have unfairly protected child rapists from the death penalty and denied victims and their loved ones the chance to seek ultimate justice against these most heinous criminals.”
DeSantis signed a new protocol for the state’s execution process into law last month. In the past, a death sentence needed to be approved by a jury of all twelve members. The jury has been cut in half, from 12 people to 8.