A.G. Gancarski
Legislation filed in the Florida House Monday would compel state attorneys to explain why they cut plea deals in cases where children were killed.
HB 867, filed by Jacksonville Democrat Tracie Davis, would require state attorneys to explain in writing why they accepted a plea deal to lesser charges and penalties than originally filed in the case of the death of a child.
On Tuesday morning, Davis told us that there are many cases in which children die at the hands of abusers, and that drove her to file this bill.
“The number of children dying by abuse is alarming and steadily increasing through our communities. As I worked with families, it was [disturbing] to discover that many perpetrators are given a plea deal to a lesser crime in order for them to reveal the details of the crime,” Davis said.
Often families are unaware of changes to the charges. Davis added.
“I strongly feel that families have the right to know when a charge involving a child killed in an abusive situation deserve to know why the charge was decreased,” Davis noted.
Davis has spoken to lawyers working in the Jacksonville area State Attorney office, and they indicated support for this legislation.
Davis would have gone farther if possible, she said. If she could have, she would have wanted to eliminate plea deals in these cases altogether, but that would be impracticable.
Davis is in the process of lining up bipartisan support for the bill, as well as a sponsor for the bill in the Senate.
