The Mississippi Senate today passed a bill that would authorize the death penalty for anyone convicted of raping or sexually battering a child under the age of 13.
Under current law, the maximum penalty for such a crime is imprisonment for life.
“There are two reasons this is a good piece of legislation,” said Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville. “One of them obviously is retribution. The other is simply that this could be a deterrence.”
The principal author of Senate Bill 2596 was Senate Judiciary A Chairman Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, but McDaniel handled it on the floor.
Asked whether he believed the new law could hinder prosecution, McDaniel said: “We didn’t mandate this. It’s simply an option for prosecutors to consider.”
The bill passed unanimously among those senators present without discussion.
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