Bill > H470

This bill proposes to reinstitute capital punishment in the Commonwealth by amending existing laws. It outlines that for first-degree murder cases where the death penalty is sought, the indictment must specify any aggravating circumstances, which are only presented to the jury during a separate sentencing proceeding after a guilt determination. The bill details that the punishment of death would be inflicted by lethal injection. Crucially, it mandates that the Commonwealth must provide legal services to indigent individuals facing capital charges or sentenced to death, establishing rigorous qualifications and oversight for attorneys appointed to these cases. The bill also defines specific aggravating circumstances that can lead to a death sentence, such as murder of law enforcement officers or murders committed during drug trafficking, and lists various mitigating circumstances that a jury must consider, including the defendant's character and history of abuse. Furthermore, it introduces a requirement for conclusive scientific evidence to support a death sentence and establishes an Independent Scientific Review (ISR) Advisory Committee and Panel to independently examine scientific evidence used in capital cases, with the Supreme Judicial Court having the ultimate authority to review and affirm or overturn death sentences based on factors like passion, prejudice, insufficient evidence, or the weight of mitigating evidence.