Criminal Justice (Sentencing)

This bill amends Alabama's human trafficking laws to mandate life imprisonment for anyone convicted of first-degree human trafficking when the victim was subjected to sexual servitude. The law currently already requires life sentences for trafficking cases involving minor victims, but this change extends that mandatory minimum to all sexual servitude cases regardless of the victim's age. The legislation affects prosecutors, judges, and defendants by establishing a stricter sentencing standard for a specific type of trafficking offense. The bill also clarifies that corporations can be held criminally liable for human trafficking when their agents commit the crimes within the scope of their employment. This change would take effect on October 1, 2026, if passed by the legislature.

HB 70 allows certain defendants convicted of capital murder before June 1, 2026, to seek resentencing if a jury previously recommended life without parole but a judge overruled that recommendation to impose a death sentence. The bill requires courts to resentence eligible defendants under current law (which follows jury recommendations) if they meet specific criteria: the sentence was imposed under pre-April 2017 law, the jury advised life without parole, and the judge overruled that advice. Petitions for resentencing must be filed with the original sentencing court and are free of filing fees. The bill repeals an existing resentencing provision and takes effect October 1, 2026. It directly affects capital murder defendants whose sentences were altered via judicial override before the specified date.

HB 76 proposes amending Alabama's constitution to permanently ban the death penalty for all future crimes. If approved by voters in the 2028 primary election, it would require the legislature to pass laws prohibiting the death penalty and void any existing laws allowing it as a punishment. This change would end the death penalty as a sentencing option for murder or other crimes in Alabama, affecting only future cases (not current death row inmates). The bill is currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee after being filed in December 2025.