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Senator Don Benton News & Views
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Benton amendment would enact ‘Jessica’s Law’; make murder
committed by a sexually violent predator subject to death
penalty
March 5, 2009
OLYMPIA…Sen.
Don Benton, R-Vancouver, today proposed an
amendment to a sex- offender bill so first-degree rape of a
child would become punishable by a mandatory 25-year sentence
and lifetime supervision. His amendment would also make murder
committed by a sexually violent predator an “aggravated” crime
subject to the death penalty.
In proposing his amendment Benton reminded his colleagues of the
9-year-old Florida girl after whom “Jessica’s Law” is named and
told them about Alycia Nipp, a 13-year-old girl recently
murdered in Clark County. Her accused killer is a Level III sex
offender under electronic supervision.
“Clark County is up in arms about this,” Benton said. “All of us
representing Clark County are receiving e-mails asking what can
be done. It is just horrific.
“Ladies and gentlemen I ask you to join me today to send a
strong message to these heinous criminals, these horrific
predators that prey on our children and our communities that
Washington state will not be a haven for this kind of activity.”
Benton proposed “Jessica’s Law” in 2006, but the version of the
bill that passed the Legislature did not make the 25-year
sentence mandatory as Benton’s bill would have required.
“Some of you may remember that Jessica’s father, Mark Lunsford,
came to Washington to help pass ‘Jessica’s Law’ in 2006.
We didn’t do it then,
but we can do it now,” Benton said.
Another part of Benton’s amendment would make murder by a
sexually violent predator as defined under state law an
“aggravated’ crime subject to the death penalty.
In addition, Benton’s amendment would have increased the
penalties for noncompliance with sex and kidnapping offender
registration requirements and would create a new crime of
rendering assistance to a sex offender.
Benton’s amendment was challenged as being beyond the scope of
the underlying
bill by its prime sponsor,
Sen. Debbie
Regala, D-Tacoma, and thus ineligible for a vote. Lt. Gov.
Brad Owen ruled in her favor.
“My amendment was the substance of my bill,
Senate Bill 6115 , and I will continue to work to get it
passed,’ Benton said. “These offenders need to be dealt with as
harshly as possible. Their crimes are just unconscionable.”
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Additional Contact: Penny
Drost (360) 786-7522 or
drost.penny@leg.wa.gov
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