DeSantis to Relax Death Penalty Vote. What Does it Mean for Prisoners?

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Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis seems to think we need to execute more prisoners

He's fighting to eliminate the state's mandatory unanimous verdict requirement for the death penalty.

"Fine, have a super-majority," DeSantis said. "But you can't just say one person votes no."

"Maybe eight out of 12 or something," the governor added.

Florida has the highest number of wrongful convictions

Since 2017, Florida has required unanimous verdicts from juries in cases involving the death penalty. This change came about after the US supreme court ruled that the state's system, which allowed a simple majority of juries to recommend death and a judge to decide whether to impose it, was unconstitutional.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, thirty inmates have been exonerated while on death row in Florida, more than in any other state. Imagine if these numbers were higher.

The judicial system will make mistakes, but we need to make sure that we curb their number. DeSantis seems to want to increase the number of innocent executions.

Don't let a tragedy go to waste

On Monday, DeSantis talked about Nikolas Cruz's recent trial. In February 2018, Cruz massacred 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida, but was spared the death penalty because three jurors disagreed. He was sentenced to life without parole.

"If you will never administer the punishment, you just can't be on the jury. Our law authorizes it. But you're in a situation where you have 12 jurors and just one juror vetoes it, then you end up not getting the sentence," said DeSantis.

The US Supreme Court panel of five conservatives and four liberals ruled in 2016 that Florida's death sentence law violated the Sixth Amendment. Florida lost by a vote of 8 to 1.

"And so I think you had an 11 to one decision, where the 11 said he should get capital punishment. One said no. And we don't know what went into that. But I do think there are people who get on these juries who never intend to administer capital punishment," DeSantis added.

Do You think we need more capital punishment?

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