FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Act 662 is set to go into effect August 5, allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty against child rapists.
The statute stems from Arkansas Senate Bill 375 from the 2025 Regular Session, with state Sen. Matt Stone, a Republican from Camden.
Brandon Carter, the Prosecuting Attorney for Arkansas’ Fourth Judicial District, says the new statute looks different from what is currently in place.
Federal court hearing held over Ten Commandments lawsuit
“Right now, the maximum penalty for any kind of rape in Arkansas is life in prison,” Carter said. “The only thing I can compare it to is deciding whether somebody should be charged with Capital Murder.”…