The law comes into effect this Sunday along with other laws passed during the 2023 legislative session.
Many believe this could lead to severe legal disputes due to existing precedents against death sentences for rapists. Local governments may also feel the pinch, as new regulations could see them liable for attorney fees in cases where their ordinances are ruled as “arbitrary or unreasonable”.
Adults soliciting lewd acts from 16- or 17-year-olds in writing will face felony charges, and fentanyl dealers and manufacturers, particularly those selling to minors, will be subject to stricter punishments. Those possessing or discharging firearms in human trafficking will face harsher sentences.
