Senate Bill sb1212

    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1212

    By Senator Crist





    13-953-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to imposition of a death

  3         sentence; creating s. 921.1415, F.S.; providing

  4         that only criminals who were 17 years of age or

  5         older at the time the crime was committed may

  6         be sentenced to death; amending s. 775.082,

  7         F.S., to conform; providing an effective date.

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  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  Section 921.1415, Florida Statutes, is

12  created to read:

13         921.1415  Sentence of death; minimum age

14  requirement.--The death sentence is an authorized punishment

15  for persons who are 17 years of age or older at the time of

16  the commission of a capital crime. However, notwithstanding

17  any other provision of this chapter, the death sentence is not

18  an authorized punishment for any person who, at the time of

19  the commission of the crime, was less than 17 years of age.

20         Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 775.082, Florida

21  Statutes, is amended to read:

22         775.082  Penalties; applicability of sentencing

23  structures; mandatory minimum sentences for certain

24  reoffenders previously released from prison.--

25         (1)  A court shall sentence a person to life

26  imprisonment without possibility of parole if such person is

27  convicted of a capital felony committed when such person was

28  less than 17 years of age. A person who has been convicted of

29  a capital felony committed when such person was 17 years of

30  age or older shall be sentenced to punished by death if the

31  proceeding held to determine sentence according to the

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1212
    13-953-02




  1  procedure set forth in s. 921.141 results in findings by the

  2  court that such person shall be sentenced to punished by

  3  death, otherwise such person shall be sentenced to punished by

  4  life imprisonment without possibility of and shall be

  5  ineligible for parole.

  6         Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  7  law.

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10                          SENATE SUMMARY

11    Prohibits sentencing a person to death if the person is
      convicted of a capital crime committed when the person
12    was younger than 17 years of age. Provides for a person
      to be sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility
13    of parole if the person is convicted of a capital felony
      committed when such person was younger than 17 years of
14    age.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.