Latest news with #SenateBill375
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Arkansas law mandates a capital charge for rape of someone under 13
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A bill signed into law on Thursday creates rape of a minor as a death penalty offense. Senate Bill 375 was signed into law by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders after passing the legislature on April 10, making Arkansas one of the few states in the nation with a law allowing the death penalty for the rape of a minor. Gov. Sanders vetoes two bills on last day of legislative session If the person committing the rape is over 18, they can receive either the death penalty or life without parole, according to the act's language. If under 18, the mandatory sentence is life with the possibility of parole after 20 years. The law states that if it is found unconstitutional, the capital rape charge reverts to a Class Y felony with a minimum 25 year sentence. It remains rape even if the victim consented, according to the act. In the act's 'Legislative Findings' section, it states: 'The United States Supreme Court gravely erred in Kennedy v. Louisiana when it held that the Eighth Amendment prohibited imposition of the death penalty for rape of a child when the crime did not result in death of the victim.' Two bills on Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders desk would impact school funding, vouchers Kennedy v. Louisiana was a 2008 case where the court found that the death penalty for child rape where the victim did not die was a violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, overturning a Louisiana law and a similar law in five other states. Lawmakers maintain in the bill's findings section that if more states had a capital rape law the Supreme Court would have been less likely to make its ruling. The legislation had 25 sponsors across both chambers. Tontitown church employee arrested after alleged possession of child abuse material Since the Supreme Court's ruling, Florida, in 2023, Tennessee, in 2024, and Idaho, in 2025, have signed into law provisions to allow the death penalty for rape of a minor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Mexico eliminates parole fees
A criminal justice advocacy group praised the New Mexico governor's enactment of a new law it called a 'smart on crime initiative' to lift unnecessary financial barriers that stop people from returning home. (Photo by) Starting on June 20, New Mexicans who are on supervised release from prison will no longer have to pay parole fees under a new law Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed on Monday. The Fines and Fees Justice Center, a criminal justice advocacy group, praised Lujan Grisham's enactment of Senate Bill 375 in a news release on Tuesday morning, calling the new law a 'smart on crime initiative' to lift unnecessary financial barriers that stop people from returning home. The group said that parole supervision fees can prevent people from successfully reintegrating into their communities when they get out, racking up large debts for the families of people on supervision across the U.S. Under the old law, New Mexico charged between $25 and $150 per month, with a yearly cap of $1,800, and incarcerated people could not get out on parole until they paid the fees. About 2,400 New Mexicans were out on parole in 2023, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. 'Every dollar spent on a parole fee could have been a dollar put towards food, childcare or supporting local businesses,' New Mexico State Director Monica Ault said in a statement. 'Ending these fees isn't just the right thing to do — it's smart fiscal policy that can reinvigorate local economies.' Sen. Antonio 'Moe' Maestas (D-Albuquerque), who sponsored SB375, said Tuesday that ending parole fees 'lifts a huge financial burden off people who have already paid their debt, giving them a real chance to prioritize their families and rebuild their lives.' 'Family is everything to New Mexicans,' Maestas said in a statement. 'This law is the next step in our push to make our communities strong, safe, and prosperous for all.' New Mexico Corrections Department Cabinet Secretary Alisha Tafoya and her staff wrote the bill, the Fines and Fees Justice Center said. 'We believe that alleviating this financial burden will reduce recidivism by removing barriers for individuals transitioning from prison facilities to communities,' Tafoya Lucero said in a statement. 'This change allows them to, instead, direct their financial resources toward essential needs like housing and transportation, which are key elements for stability and avoiding criminal activity.' The Fines and Fees Justice Center noted on Tuesday that New Mexico joins dozens of state and local governments in eliminating harmful criminal legal system fees, including the state of Maryland, which scrapped certain supervision fees last October while the governor there erased more than $13 million in outstanding court debt. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
