SB12 Summary

• Amends Alabama Code Sections 15-18-82 and 15-18-82.1 to allow capital defendants to elect execution by firing squad as an alternative to lethal injection or electrocution.

• Firing squad executions shall be carried out by a five-person squad of law enforcement officers pursuant to Department of Corrections policies and procedures.

• Death row inmates have one opportunity to elect firing squad or electrocution in writing within 30 days of the Alabama Supreme Court affirming their death sentence, or 48 hours after a new execution date is set if a warrant is pending.

• If any execution method is declared unconstitutional, the death sentence remains in force and can be executed by any other constitutional method available.

• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.