DeSantis signs anti-crime bill that reforms death penalty and sets uniform bail standards

May 2, 2023

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed an anti-crime bill on Monday that reformed the death penalty in the state and set uniform bail standards to avoid problems occurring in other states where prosecutors basically get rid of cash bail.

The bill was controversial because it appears to go against a U.S. Supreme Court precedent by allowing the death penalty in child rape cases involving children under 12 years old.

“We really believe that part of just society is to have appropriate punishment and so if you commit a crime that is really, really heinous, you should have the ultimate punishment. And so what this bill does, is it challenges the U.S. Supreme Court for recently deciding — probably six or seven years ago, they decided by five to four, after over 200 years of our Constitution being in place — that somehow you could never have capital punishment for crimes like rape,” he said

He called the sex crimes against children the “worst of the worst,” citing cases where rapists violated multiple young children.

“We think that the worst of the worst crimes deserve the worst of the worst punishment, and I think that that’s the only thing that’s appropriate,” DeSantis said to applause. 

The bill also adds additional penalties to the manufacture, sale and possession of fentanyl and other controlled substances that look like candy.