Mississippi Expands Death Penalty to Child Sexual Battery Under 12, Requiring 8 Jurors for Death
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 13
Mississippi Expands Death Penalty to Child Sexual Battery Under 12, Requiring 8 Jurors for Death
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 13
Summary
Senate Bill 2821 took effect July 1, making sexual battery of a child under 12 a capital crime in Mississippi when the defendant is 18 or older.
A conviction alone is not enough: jurors must unanimously find at least 2 aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt, and at least 8 of 12 jurors must recommend death.
If jurors do not recommend execution, the law mandates life in prison without parole, creating a new offense called capital sexual battery.
Supporters say the measure reserves the harshest punishment for crimes against the state's most vulnerable children, while critics argue it may not deter abuse and could discourage victims from reporting relatives or other known abusers.
The change marks a break from Mississippi's previous policy of limiting capital punishment to murder convictions.