HB275 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Connie C. Rowe

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Appellate procedure in death penalty cases, provide that death penalty appeals cases have priority over all cases, Secs. 12-3-9, 13A-5-53, 13A-5-55, 13A-5-56, 15-18-80, 15-18-82.1 am'd.

Summary

HB275 would make the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals the exclusive forum for death penalty appeals and require those appeals to be prioritized and expedited.

What This Bill Does

It shifts exclusive appellate jurisdiction for capital murder and death sentences to the Court of Criminal Appeals. It requires death penalty appeals to take priority over all other cases and to be expedited as much as practicable. It also makes nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update language in several related code sections.

Who It Affects

• Death penalty defendants whose capital murder cases result in a death sentence would have their direct appeals heard exclusively by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and would be processed on an accelerated schedule.
• The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals would become the primary forum for these cases (with limited review by the Alabama Supreme Court as allowed by law).

Key Provisions

• §12-3-9 amended to confer exclusive appellate jurisdiction over capital murder cases resulting in a death sentence to the Court of Criminal Appeals.
• §13A-5-53 amended to require the Court of Criminal Appeals to review the death sentence (alongside conviction review), with review subject to Alabama Supreme Court oversight and potential remand for errors.
• §13A-5-55 amended to give death-penalty appeals priority over all other cases and to require expedited handling by the Court of Criminal Appeals.
• §13A-5-56 and related sections updated to reflect nonsubstantive, technical revisions (including pattern indictment forms, pattern verdict forms, and jury instructions) to current style.
• §15-18-80 and §15-18-82.1 updated to align execution procedures language with current code language; these remain non-substantive changes.
• Effective date: the act becomes effective immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Death Penalty