SB170 Summary

• Amends Section 13A-5-43 of the Alabama Code to make the death penalty mandatory for defendants found guilty of murdering an on-duty law enforcement officer, changing it from discretionary to required.

• Applies the mandatory death sentence to defendants convicted under subdivision (a)(5) of Section 13A-5-40 who do not establish they were under 18 years old at the time of the offense.

• Exempts defendants under 18 years old at the time of the offense from the mandatory death penalty; they may instead receive life without parole or life with a minimum 30-year service requirement before parole consideration.

• Recognizes the bill would require increased local expenditures but qualifies for an exception under Alabama Constitutional Amendment 621 because it defines or amends the definition of a crime.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and gubernatorial approval.