A new Mississippi law adds sexual battery of a child under 12 to the list of crimes eligible for the death penalty. Senate Bill 2821, which took effect July 1, creates the crime of “capital sexual battery” and allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty against defendants 18 or older in qualifying cases involving victims younger than 12.
Bill Details
If a defendant is convicted, the jury must unanimously find at least two specific aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt before the defendant is eligible for the death penalty. At least 8 of the 12 jurors must then recommend death. But if the death penalty is not recommended by jurors, the mandatory sentence would be life in prison without parole.
State Sen. Jeremy England, the bill’s author, said the legislation seeks to give the worst punishment for crimes against the state’s most vulnerable population. Critics question whether capital punishment serves as a deterrent to crimes against young victims or if it could lead to children becoming too afraid to come forward knowing that doing so may end someone’s life.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
