Bill > A01658

This bill modifies New York state law to mandate life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for specific murder offenses. Specifically, the bill requires courts to sentence defendants convicted of murder in the second degree (as defined in section 125.25), aggravated murder (as defined in section 125.26), and murder in the first degree (as defined in section 125.27) to life imprisonment without parole. The legislation removes previous provisions that allowed for alternative sentencing options, such as terms of imprisonment for class A-I felonies. The bill also clarifies that defendants who were eighteen years or older at the time of committing certain terrorism or weapon-related crimes must receive life without parole sentences. However, the bill maintains an exception that allows for a potential death sentence when a defendant is also convicted of first-degree murder. Additionally, for defendants who were seventeen years or younger at the time of the crime, the court may still impose an indeterminate sentence with a maximum term of life imprisonment. The changes aim to standardize sentencing for serious murder offenses and eliminate the possibility of parole for those convicted of these specific crimes.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1658