Candidate Wants 3 Strikes, You’Re Dead

Sat., Aug. 20, 1994

From Staff

Republican attorney general candidate Alan Lance wants Idaho to adopt a “three strikes, you’re dead” policy for repeat child molesters.

Lance earlier proposed “three strikes, you’re out” life prison terms without parole for many three-time felons. And he wants murderers, child molesters, forcible rapists and major drug traffickers to get fixed life sentences after just two convictions.

But on Thursday, the Meridian lawyer and two-term state legislator said pedophiles convicted three times of molesting children should get the death penalty.

Lance’s proposal to execute sex offenders likely would face a host of legal challenges. The U.S. Supreme Court has previously ruled that capital punishment for rape amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment.

Lance, 45, is Republican Caucus chairman in the Idaho House. He faces former Democratic state senator Michael Burkett of Boise in the November election to succeed Attorney General Larry EchoHawk, the Democratic candidate for governor.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.