Legislative committees in Florida and Alabama have voted to advance bills that would reform capital sentencing procedures in those states that have been the subject of extensive constitutional challenges. In Florida, the Senate Criminal Justice Committee by a vote of 6 – 0 approved a bill that would require a jury to unanimously recommend a death sentence before the trial judge could sentence a defendant to death. The bill would bring Florida’s sentencing procedure in line with a Florida Supreme Court ruling that had declared unconstitutional death sentences that were imposed after one or more jurors had recommended a life sentence. In Alabama, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to end Alabama’s practice of judicial override. Alabama is currently the only state that allows judges to override a jury’s recommendation of a life sentence and impose a death sentence. Senator Dick Brewbaker (R — Montgomery), who sponsored the bill, raised concerns about political pressure on elected judges. A majority of overrides in the last 10 years happened in election years. “I’m not saying anyone has any evil intent,” Brewbaker said. “I’m not arguing about constitutionality, but there’s no way to take politics out of politics. It’s like taking the wet out of the water. It can’t be done.” According to research by the Equal Justice Initiative, judges have used their override power to impose death sentences over jury recommendations for life 101 times, but overrode jury recommendations for death and imposed life sentences just 11 times. The U.S. Supreme Court has remanded four death penalty cases to Alabama’s courts for a determination of the constitutionality of the state’s sentencing practices — including judicial override. The Alabama courts have upheld the practice, and in December 2016, Alabama executed Ronald Smith despite a 7 – 5 jury recommendation that he be sentenced to life.
(W. Sayre, “Here’s Where Death Penalty Legislation In Florida Stands,” WLRN, February 9, 2017; B. Lyman, “Senate committee approves bill ending judicial override,” Montgomery Advertiser, February 8, 2017.) See Recent Legislative Activity.
