Florida Gov. Scott signs death penalty fix into law
Source: Associated Press
Updated 7:16 pm, Monday, March 13, 2017
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida will now require a unanimous jury recommendation before the death penalty can be imposed under a bill signed late Monday by Gov. Rick Scott, who has remained relatively quiet about the problems with the state's death penalty law in recent months.
Lawmakers rushed to get the bill passed on the fourth day of their legislative session in hopes of fixing a death penalty law that's been found unconstitutional twice since January 2016. It's been seen as a better-than-nothing option for death penalty proponents as well as opponents.
The House approved the measure 112-3 the day after the Senate unanimously passed it, a rare case of bipartisan support for a death penalty bill. Not that everyone was pleased with it. Many Republicans prefer allowing the jury to have a simple majority to condemn a convict to death, while many Democrats want to abolish the death penalty altogether.
But Republican lawmakers believe the unanimous jury bill is better than risking the death penalty's abolition, and Democrats believe it will lead to fewer executions.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Florida-Gov-Scott-signs-death-penalty-fix-into-10999181.php
