Following the discovery of children being systematically and sexually abused in Bibb County, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall believes it’s time to reevaluate the severity of punishment for crimes of such a horrific nature.
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On a Thursday morning edition of WVNN’s The Dale Jackson Show, Marshall told the host that the case clearly merits capital punishment.
“I think Bibb County is Exhibit A,” said Marshall. “It’s one of the most horrific circumstances I’ve heard in my 25-plus years as a prosecutor that we traffic kids, we rape kids, we chain kids, we drug kids. The death penalty is the proper punishment for what we’ve heard has occurred.”
Alabama’s top law enforcement official referenced a ruling from the Supreme Court, which would void any change to state law requiring the death penalty for child rapists.
“There’s work to do. There is a Supreme Court case from 2008 that would invalidate the law to begin with,” Marshall noted. “It was a 5-4 decision with a composition to court.”
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Marshal believes a chance for change still exists if addressed by the bench.
“I think they would be willing to revisit,” he said. “The arguments that Supreme Court Justice Kennedy used in that case have been rejected by the court. I think this is an example of why we need to follow the lead of Florida and other states and to be able to give this as a tool to prosecutors to provide justice.”
Marshall was then asked by Jackson if he anticipates any opposition to a bill permitting the death penalty for such cases.
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“It’s going to be hard to push back when they understand the facts of this county. There will clearly be those who will simply argue that the death penalty is not appropriate, that Alabama is not a state to be able to do that.”
He credited two legislators for their consistent efforts in working to pass such legislation.
“I think there was significant leadership from [State Rep. Matt Simpson], and being able to get it through the House last time, and so I don’t see that as a problem,” Marshall said. “April Weaver, senator from down in the Bibb County area, is going to stand with Rep. Simpson and talk about what’s going to happen in the Senate. So, we will stand with them. I think there will be significant support from around the state.”
Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
