texas takes a step in the right direction, hopefully more states will follow

[drew]

Child Predators Could Face Execution In Texas

(AP) AUSTIN Backers of a Senate bill to toughen punishment for child-sex offenders said they've reached a deal that would permit the death penalty for offenders who repeatedly prey on children.

The compromise bill, which was distributed to Senate members on Tuesday, would allow the death penalty only for those twice convicted of raping a child 13 or younger. It also boosts mandatory minimum sentences for a variety of sex crimes against children.

"The goals here were pretty simple: protect children, send a message to child predators. Texas is not going to tolerate these kinds of heinous crimes," said Rich Parsons, a spokesman for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a leader of the charge for tougher penalties for child molesters.

The House passed its version of the bill, dubbed Jessica's Law, last month. It carries a minimum of 25 years to life in prison on a first conviction and possibly the death penalty for a second offense.

The law is named after Jessica Lunsford, a Florida girl who was abducted and killed. More than a dozen states have passed versions of Jessica's Law to crack down on sex offenders and Gov. Rick Perry has deemed passage of a child sex offender bill a legislative emergency.

Staffers of Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, the bill's sponsor, said the Senate could take up the compromise bill as soon as Thursday.

"The only thing we impose the death penalty for is two (penetration) aggravated sexual assaults of a child," Deuell said.

"There's a trigger in there that if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the death penalty for nonmurder is unconstitutional, then everything will revert back to life without parole."

The compromise tones down sex-offender penalties initially supported by Dewhurst and Deuell. The original bill called for mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years for a wide variety of sex crimes against children. A second offense for any of those could have resulted in the death penalty.

The compromise bill requires 25-year mandatory sentences only for first convictions of rape of a young child. It also requires many convicted predators to serve 75 percent of their sentences.

The proposal increases sexual assault of a child from a second- to first-degree felony, pushing minimum sentencing from two to 10 years. A second conviction could bring life without parole.

The bill also increases punishment indecency with a child and for possession of large amounts of child pornography.

Defense lawyers weren't part of most of the compromise negotiations, said David Gonzalez, of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

He criticized the mandatory minimum sentencing and said it's unconstitutional to sentence the death penalty for nonmurder offenses.

about time.... people like that are the definition of scum. the sad thing is it actually costs more money to execute someone that to let them sit in jail ( 50 years in prison estimated at 800,000 whereas according to florida costs apx 3.2 million per execution )

[DropTopChevy]

Pay per view executions J/K

[teh DIRT]

i remember a thread like this before because I remember typing all the research i did in highschool.


The legal system cost are what make capital punishment more expensive than prison. The cost of prison itself heavily outweighs the cost of an actual execution. Its the bleeding heart legal system that allows deathrow inmates to appeal until they are blue in the face that makes things cost more. idiots.

[LiquidFire]

yea ummm no!
ok yea it sux that these freaks do this ish, but you cant just go killing everyone
texas needs to back off. they wanna kill everyone who does anything wrong. i do agree that there need to be harsher penalties but again you cant just go killing people left and right like texas likes to do

[Nors]

i was expecting something about legalizing weed..

[wrx_snobordr]

Originally Posted by Nors

i was expecting something about legalizing weed..

I have nothing of value to add to this discussion. Just wanted to comment on the awesomeness that is your avatar. I started cracking up, people were staring at work, but they just dont get it.

[20th1519]

Last time I checked a box of .22 cal rounds was alot less than 3.2 million. How about they give me the reigns of the execution system and ill save them at least 2 million per scumbag. : )

[gpzjack]

If it wasn't so hot i'd move to texas tommorow

Ron White: "In Texas we have the death penalty and we USE IT!!" "While many states are voting out the death penalty, we are putting in an express lane!!"

[dickerdieter]

texas FTW!!!

[Sideways_S2k]

about time... this is not "going around killing everyone" this is taking away the life of someone who took something from an innocent CHILD that will scar them for the rest of their lives on MORE than one occassion. You don't deserve to live in this world. I'm tired of seeing these people be put through counseling or rehiblitation only to go out and do it over and over again. Its worse than shooting someone who does have a gun to shoot back. these are freakin CHILDEREN that can't defend themselves. I don't want them in this world even if they are behind bars.

Of course i say all this and someone will say " what if they really didn't do it?" well i would say if there is DNA that can prove it 100% then down they go. Should also be with in a few days of conviction not 15 years.

[K-Rex]

You have to work pretty hard not to be executed in Texas.