Bill > HB4661

This bill establishes the death penalty as a possible punishment for first-degree murder in West Virginia, specifically when the victim is a law-enforcement officer or first responder (defined as firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, correctional department employees, and others who respond to emergency calls) intentionally killed in the line of duty. The bill outlines detailed procedures for sentencing, including separate hearings for juries to consider aggravating circumstances, such as the victim's status, and mitigating circumstances, such as the defendant's mental state or age. If aggravating circumstances are proven beyond a reasonable doubt and outweigh any mitigating circumstances, the jury can sentence the defendant to death; otherwise, the sentence is life imprisonment without parole. The bill also mandates automatic review of any death sentence by the Supreme Court of Appeals to ensure it was not imposed arbitrarily and is proportionate, and it allows for DNA testing in death penalty cases to potentially prove innocence or wrongful sentencing.

Justice

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4661&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill