USA - Florida. Gov.Rick Scott has signed into law a measure that requiring that at least 10 out of 12 jurors recommend an execution.

Gov.Rick Scott has signed into law a measure that overhauls Florida’s death penalty by requiring that at least 10 out of 12 jurors recommend an execution for it to be ordered. Scott approved the bill (HB 7101) on Monday, according to a statement from his office. Florida previously only required that a majority of jurors recommend a death sentence but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state’s sentencing law was unconstitutional. “It is my solemn duty to uphold the laws of Florida, and my foremost concern is always for the victims and their loved ones,” Scott said. “I hope this legislation will allow families of these horrific crimes to get the closure they deserve.” In 2013, Scott also signed “The Timely Justice Act,” which requires governors to sign death warrants within 30 days after a Death Row prisoner exhausts all appeals, among other provisions. The Supreme Court ruled in January that the current law is unconstitutional because it allows judges to reach a different decision than juries, which have only an advisory role in recommending death. The bill sent to Scott does not apply to the 389 inmates now sitting on Florida’s death row. The state Supreme Court has been asked to decide whether the U.S. Supreme Court ruling should apply to those already sentenced to death.