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May 2, 2024

Notable review of 30 murders still on death row in Alabama after judges overrode jury life recommendations

AL.com has this interesting and detailed review of every death row defendant in Alabama who was sent to the row by a judge after a jury did not recommend a death sentence.   The article is headlined, "These 30 Alabama Death Row inmates are waiting to die because judges overruled juries," and here is how it sets up its discussion of these cases:

Despite a 2017 Alabama law banning judges from sentencing defendants to death when juries recommend life in prison, 30 inmates remain sentenced under those circumstances on death row.

A bill that would require courts to resentence people sentenced to death by judicial override was recently killed by a legislative committee, leaving those inmates to face death sentences juries did not want.

Why did the judges in these cases decide to overrule the juries? A look at the inmates’ appeals offers a glimpse into the judges’ thought processes.

In one case, the judge theorized the jury was “probably emotionally and mentally worn out” after the defendant’s family asked them to spare their relative’s life.

In others, judges said jury “outbursts” showed they were incapable of rendering a death sentence recommendation. Others said the heinousness of the crimes was enough to warrant execution.

May 2, 2024 at 01:12 PM | Permalink

Comments

Fry them all.

Posted by: federalist | May 3, 2024 9:34:49 AM

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