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A new bill in Florida would create stricter penalties for children caught carrying guns, and the state House is anticipated to listen to arguments over the proposal this week.
House Bill 1181, or the Juvenile Justice Bill, would make a minor’s first unlawful possession of a gun a first-degree felony as a substitute of a first-degree misdemeanor, and would improve the time a baby would spend in a juvenile detention facility. A primary-time offender would spend 5 days, a second-time offender would spend 21 days and a third-time offender would be dedicated to a juvenile residential program.
State Rep. Berny Jacques, a Republican, is a sponsor of the laws.
“We’re going to be safer as a result when we address these types of offenses,” Jacques instructed FOX 13 Tampa Bay. “Secondly, this is going to help these young people because I saw it as a prosecutor in the adult court system. You had young people who were getting away with the same offenses as juveniles, but when they were in the adult system, it was much less forgiving.”
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A brand new bill proposed in Florida would create stricter penalties for children caught carrying guns. (Brittainy Newman, AP Photo)
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri helped state lawmakers create the bill, in line with FOX 13.
“The laws need to change,” Gualtieri stated at a December information convention. “We need to get serious and we need to get tough and these kids need to get locked up. Send a message.”
Gualtieri was talking after a 14-year-old boy shot and killed his 23-year-old sister, Abrille Baldwin, as she was trying to interrupt up an argument over Christmas presents between him and their 15-year-old brother on Christmas Eve in Largo, Florida. The 15-year-old then allegedly shot his 14-year-old brother.
Both brothers had earlier costs for gun possession. Gualtieri suspects the guns used within the taking pictures had been stolen from unlocked vehicles, which officers say is how the guns concerned in most crimes by youngsters within the space are accessed.
“This proliferation of guns on the streets and guns in this area and guns in the hands of these kids, this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” Gualtieri stated.
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The Florida state House is anticipated to listen to House Bill 1181 this week. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency through Getty Images)
“And what happens to them? ‘Oh, well, you know, he’s only 14. He really doesn’t understand what’s going on. We’ll just give him probation.’ It’s not working. It is not working … enough of this slap on the wrist,” he added.
Gualtieri stated the bill was being labored on even earlier than Baldwin’s dying.
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“I really hope the Florida Legislature in the upcoming legislative session will get serious about it and will pass legislation that will hold these kids accountable and help us to slow this down because if we don’t slow it down, we’ve got a big problem,” Gualtieri stated.
The Fiscal Policy Committee within the Senate will hear the House’s companion bill on Thursday.
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