XPost: talk.politics.guns, memphis.general, talk.politics.misc   
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   From: kamala.harris.failed@san.francisco   
      
   A Tennessee bill that would authorize the death penalty as punishment for the   
   rape of a child has moved forward following a heated debate during the   
   Tennessee Senate Judiciary committee meeting on Tuesday.   
      
   Senate Bill 1834 (SB1834), sponsored by Republican Sen. Jack Johnson, would   
   allow the death penalty as a punishment for "rape of a child, aggravated rape   
   of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child."   
      
   The bill was presented to the committee by Republican Sen. Ken Yager, However,   
   committee members brought two amendments forward on the bill, neither of which   
   passed.   
      
   During the meeting, Democratic Sen. London Lamar, who was pushing for an   
   amendment, claimed that placing the death penalty on child rapists was "a lot   
   of pressure" to put on the victims.   
      
   A Tennessee bill that would authorize the death penalty as punishment for the   
   rape of a child has moved forward following a heated debate during the   
   Tennessee Senate Judiciary committee meeting on Tuesday.   
      
   Senate Bill 1834 (SB1834), sponsored by Republican Sen. Jack Johnson, would   
   allow the death penalty as a punishment for "rape of a child, aggravated rape   
   of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child."   
      
   The bill was presented to the committee by Republican Sen. Ken Yager, However,   
   committee members brought two amendments forward on the bill, neither of which   
   passed.   
      
   During the meeting, Democratic Sen. London Lamar, who was pushing for an   
   amendment, claimed that placing the death penalty on child rapists was "a lot   
   of pressure" to put on the victims.   
      
   Lamar goes on to explain that she feels this could prevent children from   
   wanting to speak up.   
      
   "That is a lot of pressure we are putting on children. In order for them to   
   speak up about the violations they experienced, they know, in response, that   
   somebody is going to die," Lamar said.   
      
   After lengthy testimony from the District Attorney’s office, several lawyers   
   and child advocates, Lamar made a motion to send the bill to summer study to   
   allow for more research and greater consideration of the information that was   
   presented.   
      
   During the testimony, District Attorney General Stephen Crump fired back at   
   Lamar, who still insisted that passing the bill would harm the victims.   
      
   "It is our position that the child victim would not be the one putting them to   
   death. If anyone put them to death, it would be the rapist who asked for it,"   
   Crump said.   
      
   NYC MAN CHARGED WITH RAPING 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN HER HOME AFTER MEETING HER   
   ONLINE: POLICE   
      
   "I will push back against that. While the perpetrator deserves to be held   
   accountable to the full extent of the law, should probably be sitting in   
   prison for life, I do see a situation where you are going to force children to   
   kill people, who may not    
   come forth now because they know that someone they love was close to them will   
   die," Lamar said.   
      
   Ultimately, the committee voted against sending the bill to summer study and   
   went on to vote on the bill itself.   
      
   In final statements, both Republican Sen. Kerry Roberts and Chairman Todd   
   Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga-District 10) noted that a vote against the bill did   
   not mean a member was opposed to the death penalty for cases of rape but   
   instead, that they were    
   opposed to the bill itself as written.   
      
   Roberts insisted that he was all in favor of issuing the death penalty as a   
   punishment for those charges, but he could not support it because too many of   
   those cases were based on circumstantial evidence.   
      
   The bill passed with five in favor and four opposed. Voting against the bill   
   were Gardenhire, Lamar, Roberts and Senator Sara Kyle (D-Memphis-District 30).   
      
   The bill has now been referred to the Senate Calendar Committee.   
      
   Tennessee is one of 27 states that allows capital punishment, and currently   
   does not allow capital punishment for non-homicide crimes. Only seven other   
   states allow the death penalty for certain child rape offenses.   
      
      
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