Alabama Fast-Tracks Death Penalty for Child Rape

Alabama lawmakers are renewing efforts to make child rape of victims under 12 eligible for the death penalty, following a child sex trafficking case in Bibb County involving at least ten victims. Senator April Weaver and Representative Matt Simpson, with the support of Attorney General Steve Marshall, are leading the push for the proposed 'capital rape' legislation. The bill would allow execution or life without parole for offenders in the most severe cases. Constitutional challenges are expected due to the 2008 Kennedy v. Louisiana Supreme Court decision, which currently prohibits the death penalty for crimes where the victim survives. Lawmakers believe that as more states pass similar laws, the Supreme Court may reconsider its stance. The effort is strongly backed in the legislature, with proponents seeking to fast-track the bill in the upcoming session.