Idaho Legislature introduces bill to allow death penalty for lewd conduct with minor under 12

The Idaho Legislature’s House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee introduced a new bill last week that would allow the state to seek the death penalty for a person convicted of lewd conduct with a minor under 12.

Rep. Josh Tanner, a Republican from Eagle, is sponsoring the new bill with the committee’s chairman, Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa.

If passed into law, the new bill would amend two sections of existing Idaho law to allow a sentence of capital punishment for a person convicted of lewd conduct with a minor under 12 if there are aggravating circumstances. Existing law allows for a death sentence for first-degree murder convictions.

Wednesday’s hearing was only an introductory hearing, which does not include public testimony. Legislators voted to introduce the bill without any debate or opposition.

Introducing the new lewd conduct death penalty bill clears the way for it to return to the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee for a full public hearing.

The bill will receive an official bill number and be posted on the Idaho Legislature’s website after it is read across the desk in the Idaho House of Representatives, likely on Thursday.

Idaho has not carried out a death penalty sentence since 2012, but there are eight inmates serving on death row in the state.

This story was originally produced by the Idaho Capital Sun which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.