Title 13A

(a) Sentences for felonies shall be for a definite term of imprisonment, which imprisonment includes hard labor, within the following limitations: (1) For a Class A felony, for life or not more than 99 years or less than 10 years. (2) For a Class B felony, not more than 20 years …

(a) Sentences for misdemeanors shall be a definite term of imprisonment in the county jail or to hard labor for the county, within the following limitations: (1) For a Class A misdemeanor, not more than one year. (2) For a Class B misdemeanor, not more than six months. (3) For a …

The place of imprisonment for sentences imposed in this state shall be as established elsewhere by law. (Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §1232.)

If a defendant is participating in a court supervised evidence-based treatment program, as that term is defined in Section 12-25-32, a court ordered faith-based program, or any other court ordered rehabilitative program and is subsequently terminated from that program, the court …

(a) In all cases when it is shown that a criminal defendant has been previously convicted of a Class A, Class B, or Class C felony and after the conviction has committed another Class A, Class B, or Class C felony, he or she must be punished as follows: (1) On conviction of a Cla…

As used in this article, these terms shall be defined as follows: (1) CAPITAL OFFENSE. An offense for which a defendant shall be punished by a sentence of death or life imprisonment without parole, or in the case of a defendant who establishes that he or she was under the age of …

(a) The following are capital offenses: (1) Murder by the defendant during a kidnapping in the first degree or an attempt thereof committed by the defendant. (2) Murder by the defendant during a robbery in the first degree or an attempt thereof committed by the defendant. (3) Mur…

Subject to the provisions of Section 13A-1-9(b), the jury may find a defendant indicted for a crime defined in Section 13A-5-40(a) not guilty of the capital offense but guilty of a lesser included offense or offenses. Lesser included offenses shall be defined as provided in Secti…

A defendant who is indicted for a capital offense may plead guilty to it, but the state, only in cases where the death penalty is to be imposed, must prove the defendant’s guilt of the capital offense beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury. The guilty plea may be considered in deter…

(a) In the trial of a capital offense the jury shall first hear all the admissible evidence offered on the charge or charges against the defendant. It shall then determine whether the defendant is guilty of the capital offense or offenses with which he is charged or of any lesser…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a defendant is found guilty of any non-homicide crime for which the only sentence provided by law is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and that defendant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she was …

Act 2016-360 shall apply to any person under the age of 18 years at the time an offense was committed who was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole under Section 13A-5-2, 13A-5-39, 13A-5-43, or 13A-6-2, whether the person is currently incarcerated or hereinafter con…

(a) The selection of the jury for the trial of a capital case shall include the selection of at least two alternate jurors chosen according to procedures specified by law or court rule. (b) The separation of the jury during the pendency of the trial of a capital case shall be gov…

(a) Upon conviction of a defendant for a capital offense, the trial court shall conduct a separate sentence hearing to determine whether the defendant shall be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole or to death. The sentence hearing shall be conducted as soon as practicabl…

(a) Unless both parties with the consent of the court waive the right to have the sentence hearing conducted before a jury as provided in Section 13A-5-44(c), it shall be conducted before a jury which shall return a verdict as provided by subsection (e) of this section. If both p…

(a) After the sentence hearing has been conducted, and after the jury has returned a verdict, or after such a verdict has been waived as provided in Section 13A-5-46(a) or Section 13A-5-46(g), the trial court shall impose sentence. Where the jury has returned a verdict of death, …

Sections 13A-5-45, 13A-5-46, and 13A-5-47 shall apply to any defendant who is charged with capital murder after April 11, 2017, and shall not apply retroactively to any defendant who has previously been convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death prior to April 11, 2017. (…

The process described in Sections 13A-5-46(e)(2), 13A-5- 46(e)(3) and Section 13A-5-47(e) of weighing the aggravating and mitigating circumstances to determine the sentence shall not be defined to mean a mere tallying of aggravating and mitigating circumstances for the purpose of…

Aggravating circumstances shall be any of the following: (1) The capital offense was committed by a person under sentence of imprisonment. (2) The defendant was previously convicted of another capital offense or a felony involving the use or threat of violence to the person. (3) …

The fact that a particular capital offense as defined in Section 13A-5-40(a) necessarily includes one or more aggravating circumstances as specified in Section 13A-5-49 shall not be construed to preclude the finding and consideration of that relevant circumstance or circumstances…

Mitigating circumstances shall include, but not be limited to. the following: (1) The defendant has no significant history of prior criminal activity; (2) The capital offense was committed while the defendant was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance; (3)…

In addition to the mitigating circumstances specified in Section 13A-5-51, mitigating circumstances shall include any aspect of a defendant’s character or record and any of the circumstances of the offense that the defendant offers as a basis for a sentence of life imprisonment w…

(a) In any case in which the death penalty is imposed, in addition to reviewing the case for any error involving the conviction, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, subject to review by the Alabama Supreme Court, shall also review the propriety of the death sentence. This revi…

(a) Rule 32.2(c) of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure shall not apply to cases in which a criminal defendant is convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death, and files a petition for post-conviction relief under the grounds specified in Rule 32.1(a), (e), or (f) of th…

Each person indicted for an offense punishable under the provisions of this article who is not able to afford legal counsel must be provided with court appointed counsel having no less than five years’ prior experience in the active practice of criminal law. (Acts 1981, No. 81-17…

In all cases in which a defendant is sentenced to death, the judgment of conviction shall be subject to automatic review. The sentence of death shall be subject to review as provided in Section 13A-5-53. (Acts 1981, No. 81-178, §17.)

The Alabama Supreme Court shall promulgate pattern indictment forms for use in cases in which indictments charging offenses defined in Section 13A-5-40(a) are thereafter returned. The Alabama Supreme Court shall also promulgate pattern verdict forms and pattern jury instructions …

(a) This article applies only to conduct occurring after 12:01 A.M. on July 1, 1981. Conduct occurring before 12:01 A.M. on July 1, 1981 shall be governed by pre-existing law. (b) Sections 13A-5-30 through 13A-5-38 are hereby repealed. All other laws or parts of laws in conflict …

This article shall be interpreted, and if necessary reinterpreted, to be constitutional. (Acts 1981, No. 81-178, §21.)

It is the intent of the Legislature that if the death penalty provisions of this article are declared unconstitutional and if the offensive provision or provisions cannot be reinterpreted so as to provide a constitutional death penalty, or if the death penalty is ever declared to…

(a) As used in Article 1 and Article 2, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them by this section: (1) CRIMINAL HOMICIDE. Murder, manslaughter, or criminally negligent homicide. (2) HOMICIDE. A person commits criminal homicide if he intentionally, knowingly, re…

(a) A person commits the crime of murder if he or she does any of the following: (1) With intent to cause the death of another person, he or she causes the death of that person or of another person. (2) Under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, he or she…

(a) A person commits the crime of manslaughter if he or she does any of the following: (1) Recklessly causes the death of another individual. (2) Causes the death of another individual under circumstances that would constitute murder under Section 13A-6-2; except, that he or she …

(a) A person commits the crime of criminally negligent homicide if he or she causes the death of another individual by criminal negligence. (b) The jury may consider statutes and ordinances regulating the actor’s conduct in determining whether the actor is culpably negligent unde…

(a) A person commits the crime of assault in the first degree if: (1) With intent to cause serious physical injury to another person, he or she causes serious physical injury to any person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument; or (2) With intent to disfigure anot…

(a) A person commits the crime of assault in the second degree if the person does any of the following: (1) With intent to cause serious physical injury to another person, he or she causes serious physical injury to any person. (2) With intent to cause physical injury to another …

(a) A person commits the crime of assault in the third degree if: (1) With intent to cause physical injury to another person, he causes physical injury to any person; or (2) He recklessly causes physical injury to another person; or (3) With criminal negligence he causes physical…

(a) A person commits the crime of menacing if, by physical action, he intentionally places or attempts to place another person in fear of imminent serious physical injury. (b) Menacing is a Class B misdemeanor. (Acts 1977, No. 607, p. 812, §2110.)

(a) A person commits the crime of reckless endangerment if he or she does either of the following: (1) Recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury to another individual. (2) Recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk…

(a) A person commits the crime of criminal coercion if, without legal authority, he threatens to confine, restrain or to cause physical injury to the threatened person or another, or to damage the property or reputation of the threatened person or another with intent thereby to i…

(a) For purposes of this section, the term “streetgang” means any combination, confederation, alliance, network, conspiracy, understanding, or other similar arrangement in law or in fact, of three or more persons that, through its membership or through the agency of any member, e…

(a) The crime of criminal use of a defense spray is committed if the perpetrator uses a defense spray including, but not limited to pepper spray, foam and any other self-defense chemical spray against another person in the commission of a crime or against a law enforcement office…

(a) A person commits the crime of cross or the American flag burning if he or she, with the intent to intimidate any person or group of persons, burns, or causes to be burned, a cross or the American flag on the property of another, a highway, or other public place. (b) As used i…

(a) As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) MEDICALLY PRESCRIBED. In accordance with a physician’s prescription or in accordance with age-appropriate directions for the over-the-counter medication. (2) NEAR FATALITY. An act that, as cer…

(a) A person commits the crime of chemical endangerment of a first responder if he or she knowingly, recklessly, or intentionally causes or permits a first responder, as defined in Section 11-98-1, or a coroner or a deputy coroner, to be exposed to, to ingest or inhale, or to hav…

The following definitions apply in this article: (1) RESTRAIN. To intentionally or knowingly restrict a person’s movements unlawfully and without consent, so as to interfere substantially with his liberty by moving him from one place to another, or by confining him either in the …