Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation on Thursday that will allow juries to sentence an inmate to death without a unanimous vote, a change that was spurred by the life sentence for Parkland school shooter Nicholas Cruz last year.
"Once a defendant in a capital case is found guilty by a unanimous jury, one juror should not be able to veto a capital sentence," DeSantis said in a statement on Thursday. "I’m proud to sign legislation that will prevent families from having to endure what the Parkland families have and ensure proper justice will be served in the state of Florida."
The legislation, which passed the senate on a 29-10 vote and the house on an 80-30 vote, will allow juries to sentence an inmate to death as long as at least eight are in favor of execution. Florida previously required all 12 jurors to agree to the death penalty.
DeSantis, lawmakers, and family members of victims of the Parkland school shooting were outraged after Cruz, who murdered 17 people, was spared the death penalty by a divided jury last year.
