On Thursday, Florida far-right governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that eliminates the requirement of a unanimous jury verdict to sentence a person to death.
RELATED:
When US Spies Read Russian Lips in the Security Council Chamber
The law establishes that Florida judges may impose capital punishment on a convicted if 8 out of 12 tribunal jurors recommend it. DeSantis backed it following the verdict against the 2018 Parkland massacre’s perpetrator, who killed 14 students and did not receive a death penalty as not all jury members agreed on this sentence.
In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court established that there must be unanimity among the jurors so that a death penalty is approved. However, a few days ago, it refused a petition for clemency from a person who was sentenced to death in Florida by a simple majority of the jury.
DeSantis did not specify when the law will enter into force or whether it will be applied retroactively. Relatives of the Parkland victims expressed their satisfaction with the law’s approval.
According to the Florida Department of Prisons, there are currently almost 300 prisoners on "death row," which is the place where convicts sentenced to the death penalty wait to be executed.
The oldest prisoner in this condition is 80-year-old Ecuadorian citizen Nelson Serrano, who was convicted of three murders of which he plaid not guilty. Human rights organizations considered his case a judicial outrage.
Since March, DeSantis has promoted other ultra-conservative measures that limit sexual education and gender equality. On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Education extended to secondary education the so-called "Don’t say gay” law, which DeSantis signed in March 2022 to prohibit a teacher from addressing gender identity and sexual orientation in school lessons.
This law enables parents to file lawsuits against the school district and receive compensation for damages if teachers fail to comply with such a provision.