Senator Joey Hensley, MD: Capitol Hill week in review

Death penalty could be

option for convicted child rapists

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced legislation to increase the penalty for child rapists in Tennessee. Senate Bill 1834, would expand the death penalty to defendants convicted of rape of a child.

The legislation will strengthen existing state law by increasing the penalty for rape or aggravated rape of a child to death, life in prison without the possibility of parole, or life in prison. Current law classifies the offense as a Class A felony punishable as either a Range III offense, which carries a sentence of 40-60 years in prison...