Lawmaker wants capital punishment for sex trafficking deaths

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah lawmakers are expected to consider a plan that would expand capital punishment in the state so that criminals convicted of sex trafficking that leads to death could be executed.
Proposal sponsor Republican Rep. Paul Ray said Friday he wants to hold the leaders of human trafficking rings accountable.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah spoke against the bill, saying it is more effective to provide support for the actual victims of human trafficking.
The proposal is only the latest effort by Ray to institute hardline death-penalty plans. He ushered in a law in 2015 allowing Utah to use firing squads in executions if the state can’t obtain lethal injection drugs.
Ray also plans to introduce a proposal this year that could require the death penalty for those convicted of killing police officers.