Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate adopts measure making sexual battery of child under 12 capital offense
Summary
The Mississippi Senate on the final calendar day approved a conference report that adds a capital felony for sexual battery against children under age 12, defining the covered body parts and leaving eligibility for life imprisonment or the death penalty; senators pressed for clarifications during floor debate.
The Mississippi Senate adopted a conference report that adds a capital felony for sexual battery of a child younger than 12, with supporters saying the change closes a perceived gap in the code and opponents raising constitutional and policy concerns.
Senator England, explaining the conference report, said the measure makes sexual battery of a child under 12 eligible for capital punishment. "We added the word 'sexual' back in and defined sexual organs to align with existing code sections," he said, describing the change as a technical clarification tied to earlier bill language. The conference report keeps the statutes and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
