Crackdown on capital felonies at schools, churches, public meetings up to Governor now

Gov. Ron DeSantis has the opportunity to sign legislation (HB 693) that would require jurors to consider certain aggravating factors in capital crimes cases, which include whether the crime was committed during a school event or activity, a religious event, or public government meeting.

The bill was advanced to him on Friday.

“The purpose of HB 693 is to expressly include an additional aggravating factor, which essentially would allow the jury to include that if the capital crime was committed essentially in a place where more than one person was gathered for either a school activity, religious activity or public government meeting, that would be an express aggravating factor that the jury can consider,” sponsoring Rep. Mike Redondo said in a committee.

The bill would require at least eight jurors out of 12 to agree to hand down a death sentence, which is consistent with Florida’s law allowing a supermajority to decide capital punishment in certain cases.

Additionally, a prayer group or bible study group held in a private home or on non-church grounds would be a religious activity and could be considered by a jury as an aggravating factor.

Not all religious groups backed the bill in committee.

Joe Harmon, representing the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, opposed the bill, saying a life sentence would be a harsh enough punishment.

“We agree that these terrible and tragic crimes are gravely evil, we agree also that the state has a duty to punish offenders and protect society,” Harmon said. “However, we oppose the bill because it expands the death penalty. In particular, in the present proposal, there’s good reason to doubt the deterrence effect when we have seen in so many cases the perpetrator is a deeply disturbed individual who intends to die in the act.”

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A.G. Gancarski and Andrew Powell contributed reporting.