Senate committee OKs bill to set 18 as minimum age for execution

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Tue, Apr. 13, 2004


Senate committee OKs bill to set 18 as minimum age for execution
Associated Press


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Murderers would have to be at least 18 years old when they commit their crime in order to face the death penalty, under a bill approved Tuesday by a Senate committee.

Florida law now allows for the execution of 17-year-old killers, and federal law allows the death penalty to be applied to 16-year-olds - though the U.S. Supreme Court could reverse a previous 5-4 decision upholding juvenile executions.

Sen. Victor Crist said his bill (SB 224) will protect the state's death penalty law if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the minimum age of execution should be 18.

"Those who support capital punishment ought to favor (the proposal) and those against capital punishment ought to favor it because they both get something out of it," said Crist, R-Tampa. "You're hedging your bets and providing a small victory for the other side."
(snip/...)

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[LDS Jock]

1. How about

doing away with the death penalty all together and act civilized? At least this is a step in the right direction.

[Snoggera]

2. What kind of a society even considers executing children?

and executing is such a nice, clean, tidy word compared to killing.