Death penalty on the table for first time child sex crime offenders
Oklahoma’s law against child sex predators just got tougher. Governor Stitt signed Senate Bill 599, so now, if anyone’s found guilty of committing lewd acts with a child under 14, they could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Please bring 🙏 it to Florida, keep our children safe.
Instead of focusing on capital punishment, society should focus on the need for expanding prevention programs, increasing support for survivors, and ensuring fair sentencing that balances accountability with the possibility of rehabilitation.
These alternatives can address the root causes of sexual abuse while upholding justice and human dignity.
The problem with being charged with any sex crime against a child… you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent. Hard standard to fight against. Often convictions are based on allegations without ANY physical evidence.
If a jury finds you guilty and you go to prison then there’s nothing to fight. The jury has spoken and you guilty af.
Lots of innocent people have been sent to prison.
Oklahoma’s Senate Bill 599 may sound tough on paper, but it’s likely unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008) that the death penalty for crimes against individuals—when the victim does not die—violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. This includes child sexual abuse. The Court made clear that capital punishment must be proportional to the crime, and unless it results in death, the death penalty crosses that constitutional line.
This law will almost certainly be challenged and struck down, wasting taxpayer resources and retraumatizing victims during appeals. Being tough on crime doesn’t mean ignoring the Constitution.
That is what we all thought in Roe vs Wade, and look how sideways that went.
How long until this makes it to Florida and they make it retroactive? I figured eventually they’d tell me to report to prison because they changed the laws, but hey let’s skip that and just put is to death…30+ years later.
Even though they don’t specify which lewd acts, it’s still ridiculous where this country is headed. The punishments just keep intensifying, with almost no end. They’re pushing the limits, to see how far they can go with the laws in states. Eventually there could be a death penalty for almost any crime. Dystopian future slowly creeping in.
Tereto
Lewd act is a CRIME( no specification needed) period……
While the term “lewd” can be broad (e.g., “sexual in an offensive way”), legal definitions often include specific actions or situations. For example, in North Carolina, “lewd conduct” can refer to taking indecent liberties with a child, which involves specific actions on or with a child’s body. Legal definitions of “lewd” and “lewd conduct” can vary significantly by state, so it’s crucial to consult the specific laws of the jurisdiction in question.
bwj
In Florida, a “lewd or lascivious act” is defined as an act that is sexually explicit or offensive, particularly when involving a minor. So were concern about Florida in particular
Rita
So I too am concerned with Florida. My point was to illustrate that there are differences in the law. My charge was in Florida twelve years ago. I moved to North Carolina in a couple of years I will be able to get off of the registry.
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/capital-punishment-death-murder-only
Is this article obsolete or are they hoping for a challenge that will make it obsolete.
G
It appears that Oklahoma is waiting for a challenge to SCOTUS.