USA - Florida. Unanimous death sentences bill clears 1st Senate committee

Unanimous death sentences bill clears 1st Senate committee. The Senate Criminal Justice Committee has approved 5-0 the bill (SB 664) that would require a unanimous vote by jurors to request the death penalty. Right now, all it takes is a majority of a jury - a 7-5 vote - to recommend the death penalty. According to legislative staff analysis, between 2000 and 2012, just 20 % of death sentences have been issued by unanimous jury votes. "In Florida, the only time a jury is not required to be unanimous is when jurors are considering a death sentence," said Sen. Thad Altman, R, the bill's sponsor. "This bill brings Florida in line with the vast majority of death penalty states."