SB245 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Hank Sanders

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Death penalty, moratorium on imposition and execution not to exceed three years, procedure for administering

Summary

SB245 would pause the death penalty in Alabama for three years and require steps to ensure fair and impartial administration.

What This Bill Does

It imposes a three-year moratorium on the imposition and execution of the death penalty. During the moratorium, it requires the state to implement several procedures to ensure fair and impartial handling of death penalty cases, including defense counsel guidelines, post-conviction due-process, race-related sentencing safeguards, and protections for mentally retarded or under-18 defendants. The changes are meant to reduce the risk of wrongful executions and to update how death penalty cases are processed.

Who It Affects

• Death row or capital case defendants would have their death penalty cases paused for three years
• Defense attorneys and capital defense teams would need to follow ABA Guidelines and enhanced procedures
• State courts and the post-conviction relief system would implement new due-process procedures
• People who were mentally retarded or under 18 at the time of their offense would be protected from execution by the new safeguards

Key Provisions

• A three-year moratorium on the imposition or execution of the death penalty
• Adoption and use of the American Bar Association Guidelines for defense counsel in death penalty cases
• Due process procedures to preserve and enhance state post-conviction relief in death sentence cases
• Procedures to eliminate discrimination in capital sentencing based on the race of the victim or the defendant
• Due process protections to prevent the execution of mentally retarded individuals and those who were under 18 at the time of the offense

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Death Penalty