Alabama Lawmaker Pushes Death Penalty in Child Rape Cases – ‘Worst of the Worst’

Rep. Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) is optimistic that his colleagues in the Alabama Legislature will join him in passing a bill that would impose harsher penalties for those convicted of raping a child. Much harsher punishments.

Simpson has pre-filed HB49, which would impose the death penalty for certain people convicted of raping a child. State lawmakers will consider the bill when they meet for the 2025 state legislative session.

The bill’s summary states: “This bill provides that a person 18 years of age or older who has been convicted of rape in the first degree or sodomy in the first degree, if the victim is under six years of age, shall be subject to either death or is punished.” Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and if the guilty person is under 18 years of age, life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or life imprisonment shall be imposed.”

Simpson discussed the topic during a recent appearance on WVNN’s “The Yaffee Program.”

“I think that this offense, this crime, is the worst of the worst,” Simpson argued, “and sometimes the worst punishment is left to the people who commit the worst crimes.” I don’t think you can rehabilitate someone who commits a crime committed against a child under six years of age. I don’t think you’ll come back from this… So I think it’s cruel to keep someone in prison for 50 or 60 years with no hope of ever getting out. Go ahead and impose the death penalty. We shouldn’t have to pay for this person to spend 50 or 60 years behind bars.”

RELATED: State Rep. Matt Simpson: Child rapists deserve death penalty because they can’t be ‘rehabilitated’

Lawmakers hope Alabama will join several other states that have already passed similar laws.

“Florida has already started a prosecution in this way, where they have already started prosecuting and seeking the death penalty,” he explained. “What we can show with this is that we can show the Supreme Court that when Florida files its brief, hopefully they can say that not only Florida but Tennessee will be added. “It’s also Alabama. There are also several other states that have recently filed bills to try to change and enact what we need to make this happen. You have bills filed in Arizona, Idaho, Missouri, New Mexico, South Carolina and South Dakota.”

Simpson said overall he hopes the Legislature can get this done next session.

“I hope,” he said. “I never count my chickens before they hatch. You never know what will happen during a legislative session and how bills will be implemented. You know, the feedback I’ve gotten from my colleagues makes me feel good, and I feel good that we can take this forward.”

Yaffee is a writer for Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays from 9 to 11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee