SB141 Alabama 2013 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Clay Scofield
Republican
Co-Sponsors: Greg J. Reed Paul Bussman Bryan Taylor Rodger Smitherman Scott Beason Jerry L. Fielding Gerald H. Allen Cam Ward
Session: Regular Session 2013
Title: Capital offenses, murder of a person with a protection order issued against the defendant, included, Kelley's Law, Sec. 13A-5-40 am'd.
Summary: SB141, known as Kelley’s Law, makes it a capital offense to murder a person who had a protection order issued against the defendant.
What This Bill Does
It adds a new capital-murder scenario to Alabama law by making the murder of a protected person a capital offense when the defendant is under a protection order. It amends Section 13A-5-40 to include this situation and designates the bill as 'Kelley’s Law'. It also states the bill defines a new crime, so it is exempt from certain local-funding requirements, and it has an effective date set after passage.

Who It Affects
Defendants who have a protection order against them would face capital-murder charges if they kill the protected person.
People protected by protection orders (the victims) and their families would be affected because the murder of the protected person could be charged as a capital murder, leading to potentially higher penalties and different prosecutions.

Key Provisions
Adds a new capital-offense: murder by the defendant where the victim had a protective order against the defendant (new subsection 13A-5-40(a)(19)).
Names the act 'Kelley’s Law' and sets its effective date as the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval; it also states the bill is exempt from Amendment 621 local-funds requirements because it defines a new crime.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Crimes and Offenses