Unanimous juries for death penalty sentences signed into law

Gov. Scott has signed the bill that reforms the death penalty process.

• Law requires unanimous jury recommendation to be sentenced to death
• Reform came after courts overturned Florida's death penalty process

The new law requires a unanimous recommendation of the death penalty from a jury in order for a convict to be sentenced to death.

The law was required after multiple supreme court orders overturned Florida's death penalty process.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Florida's process in 2016 because the law granted judges, not juries final authority to mete out the sentences.

The Florida Legislature came back with a law that required a majority of jurors -- 10 out of 12 -- to recommend the death penalty.

But the Florida Supreme Court ruled the new law unconstitutional last October, saying death recommendations must be unanimous.

Many Republicans in Tallahassee are against the law, but believe it better to go with the Supreme Court on this rather than risk abolishing the death penalty altogether at worst, or going through another round of court rulings and changes at best.

Because of the rulings and changes, post-2002 convictions are now eligible for new sentencing trials.