2 ▁Florida ▁Legisl ature ▁tried ▁but ▁failed ▁to ▁agree ▁on ▁a ▁replacement ▁for ▁the ▁" cr imes ▁against ▁nature " ▁stat ute ▁because ▁legisl ators ▁could ▁not ▁agree ▁on ▁whether ▁opposite - sex ▁cou ples ▁should ▁be ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁definition ▁of ▁sod omy ▁or ▁not . ▁ ▁In ▁fact , ▁D ade ▁County ▁sen ators ▁introduced ▁an ▁am end ment ▁to ▁dec riminal ize ▁all ▁consent ing - ad ult ▁sex , ▁but ▁the ▁proposal ▁was ▁defeated ▁ 2 4 - 1 8 . ▁ ▁Finally ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁the ▁Legisl ature ▁rec od ified ▁and ▁retained ▁the ▁" le wd ▁and ▁las c iv ious " ▁section ▁as ▁a ▁second - deg ree ▁mis de mean or ▁( p un ish able ▁by ▁a ▁fine ▁of ▁$ 5 0 0 ▁or ▁up ▁to ▁ 6 0 ▁days ▁in ▁j ail ), ▁which ▁there after ▁function ed ▁as ▁the ▁state ' s ▁sod omy ▁law , ▁en force able ▁against ▁both ▁same - sex ▁and ▁opposite ▁sex ▁cou ples , ▁but ▁primarily ▁used ▁to ▁st ig mat ize ▁g ays ▁and ▁les bi ans ▁as ▁crim inals ▁whenever ▁the ▁state ▁considered ▁an ▁issue ▁dealing ▁with ▁their ▁civil ▁rights . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ' s ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁r uling ▁in ▁Lawrence ▁v . ▁Texas ▁struck ▁down ▁all ▁remaining ▁sod omy ▁laws ▁nation wide , ▁including ▁Florida ' s , ▁as ▁being ▁un const itution al ▁viol ations ▁of ▁due ▁process ▁and ▁priv acy