Many people are familiar with the term capital punishment or the death penalty. It is a concept that can be as polarizing an issue as abortion or gun control. Some people feel that capital punishment is essential for punishing those convicted of truly horrendous crimes, while others feel that nothing deserves capital punishment, or that capital punishment is too severe of a penalty in the event that the justice system makes a mistake.
Whatever your opinions on capital punishment, the fact is that Florida allows the practice, and there is no minimum age at which it can be employed. In fact, the only exemptions come if the convicted individual is determined to be insane or pregnant. The method of capital punishment in Florida is lethal injection. However, electrocution can be chosen instead by the convicted individual. Capital punishment is reserved for the most serious of crimes.
Some of the crimes for which the death penalty may be employed are capital murder on a victim younger than 12 years of age, premeditated homicide or killing a public official. The severity of the crime of which you are accused is directly related to whether or not the death penalty may be on the table, which is why it is so important to seek the aid of an attorney if you are accused of a violent crime.
Obviously, the ideal circumstance would be to have all charges dropped or to secure an acquittal if you are accused of a crime such as premeditated murder. However, this is not always possible depending on the circumstances and the evidence. Still, even if you are unable to prove your innocence, an attorney may help you have the charges reduced to something that is not punishable by the death penalty.