Background on the Sinaloa Legislature and its Recent Actions
The 65th Legislature of the Sinaloa State Congress, composed of dedicated lawmakers, recently took a significant step towards enhancing public safety by approving reforms to the Sinaloa State Penal Code. These reforms aim to increase penalties for homicide, specifically when the victim is a minor, a journalist, or a public security personnel.
Key Changes in the Penal Code Reforms
On July 30, 2025, during an ordinary session, the legislators unanimously voted (38 in attendance) to reform articles 134, 139, paragraph first, and fractions VII and VIII of the Sinaloa State Penal Code. Furthermore, a new fraction IX was added to article 139 to bolster the protection of the right to life.
Increased Penalties for Homicide
Article 134 was reformed to elevate the general penalty for homicide from the current range of 8 to 22 years in prison to 12 to 24 years, except when the Penal Code specifies a different penalty.
Article 139, which addresses homicide under various circumstances, also proposes to raise the existing penalties of 22 to 50 years in prison to a new range of 25 to 50 years.
New Causals for Enhanced Penalties
Three new causals were added to the six existing ones in article 139, targeting:
- Dolomitically committing homicide against someone due to their journalistic activities;
- Dolomitically committing homicide against someone who is a public servant in any law enforcement institution or corporation;
- Dolomitically committing homicide against a person under the age of eighteen.
Collaborative Effort and Influential Figures
The approved resolution was crafted by the Justice Commission, which considered two similar proposals presented by the current PAN Parliamentary Group and the Morena Parliamentary Group. The commission decided to merge these initiatives due to their shared goal of strengthening the Sinaloa State Penal Code.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main objective of these reforms? The primary goal is to increase penalties for homicide when the victim is a minor, journalist, or public security personnel to enhance public safety and deter such crimes.
- Which articles of the Sinaloa State Penal Code were reformed? Articles 134, 139 (paragraph first), and fractions VII and VIII were reformed. Additionally, a new fraction IX was added to article 139.
- What are the new penalty ranges for homicide? The general penalty for homicide has been increased from 8 to 22 years in prison to 12 to 24 years. Article 139’s penalties for homicide have been raised from 22 to 50 years in prison to 25 to 50 years.
- What new causals were added for enhanced penalties? The reforms include three new causals targeting journalists, public servants in law enforcement institutions, and individuals under the age of eighteen.
