HB 216 Summary

• Rule 32.2(c) of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure shall not apply to capital murder cases where a defendant is sentenced to death and files a post-conviction relief petition.

• Direct appellate remedies and post-conviction remedies must be pursued concurrently in death penalty cases, with separate counsel appointed for each within 30 days of the death sentence.

• Petitions for post-conviction relief in capital cases must be filed within 180 days of the appellant's first brief on direct appeal, with one possible 90-day extension for good cause.

• Circuit courts must issue orders on post-conviction petitions within 90 days of the state's answer, and final orders within 180 days if the petition is still pending when direct appeal concludes.

• The bill applies only to defendants sentenced to death after the effective date and becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval.