Ron DeSantis signs bill to give child rapists death penalty in Florida

Florida governor seeks to boost ‘tough on crime’ image with legislation set to spark legal fight

Ron DeSantis is attempting to depict himself as an adherent to the traditional conservative “tough on crime” platform — and as an opponent to bail reform policies pursued by Democrats in some cities.

His latest effort in that campaign came on Monday when the Florida governor signed legislation aimed at toughening statewide rules for bail policies and also expanding the use of the death penalty to cases of child sexual battery.

The legislation would also set a new mandatory minimum for such cases: Life without parole.

“Florida is a law-and-order state with a 50-year record low crime rate and double-digit year-over-year decreases in murder, burglary, and overall crime,” said the governor in a statement. “For three consecutive legislative sessions we have enacted tough-on-crime policies, and this year we are continuing to implement measures to protect our communities and keep Florida safe, with a particular emphasis on keeping criminals in jail and throwing the book at pedophiles.”

The governor’s news release touting the legislation’s passage into law claimed that crime is “spiralling out of control” in other parts of the country. In reality, a number of red states including Alaska, Missouri, Louisiana and Tennessee have the highest rates of property crime and violent offences in the nation.

The legislation itself is a nod to a wide variety of concerns on the right. It addresses more traditional Republican concerns, including policies that have made it easier for nonviolent offenders to be released before their criminal trials, while also playing into the narrative of the widespread QAnon conspiracy on the right which posits that many celebrities, Democrats, and even Republicans in DC are satanic paedophiles.

Mr DeSantis has pursued flashy legislation like this latest bill for months as he builds his national profile and the groundwork necessary to mount a successful bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. Whether that will pay off is unclear, as he trails Donald Trump in polling by a significant margin.

The passage of this bill will likely set up a legal fight with Florida’s Supreme Court, which previously ruled that the death penalty was unconstitutional in cases of sexual battery regardless of the victim’s age.