Bill > HB20

This bill amends the Alabama Criminal Code to add a new provision that expands the list of capital offenses and aggravating circumstances in murder cases. Specifically, the bill adds a new type of capital offense (subsection 22) that applies when a defendant knowingly creates a great risk of death to multiple persons, which is also added as an aggravating circumstance in the sentencing guidelines. The bill makes some minor technical changes, such as replacing the word "fourteen" with the numerical "14" and adding "or her" to gendered language. The changes to the law modify sections 13A-5-40 and 13A-5-49 of the Alabama Code, which outline capital offenses and aggravating circumstances in murder cases. These modifications expand the potential scenarios under which a murder could be considered a capital offense, potentially making it eligible for the death penalty. The bill is set to become effective on October 1, 2026, giving time for legal systems and practitioners to prepare for the new provisions.

Justice

https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/bill-search