17 February 2017 :

The House Judiciary Committee approved 10-2 HB 32, a law to do away with judicial override in capital murder cases. Under current law, judges can override the sentence recommendations of juries in capital cases. No other state allows that. The bill by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, would say that juries determine the sentences in capital cases. England's bill would also require all 12 jurors to hand down a death sentence. Current law requires 10 of 12 jurors to recommend death. The bill now goes to the full House. On Feb. 8, the Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly approved a similar bill (SB 16) by Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery. Brewbaker's bill does not change the threshold of 10 jurors to recommend death.