Bill Text: NY A01726 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Provides that sentence for commission of certain provisions of murder in the first degree is death or life without parole.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - referred to codes [A01726 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A01726-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1726
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 12, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. MURRAY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. GRAF --
          read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
        AN ACT to amend the  penal  law  and  the  criminal  procedure  law,  in
          relation  to  sentencing  for  the commission of certain provisions of
          murder in the first degree
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Section 60.06 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 482
     2  of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
     3  § 60.06 Authorized disposition; murder in the  first  degree  offenders;
     4            aggravated  murder  offenders;  certain  murder  in the second
     5            degree  offenders;  certain  terrorism   offenders;   criminal
     6            possession  of  a  chemical weapon or biological weapon offen-
     7            ders; criminal use of a chemical weapon or  biological  weapon
     8            offenders.
     9    When a defendant is convicted of murder in the first degree as defined
    10  in  section  125.27 of this chapter, the court shall, in accordance with
    11  the provisions of section 400.27 of the criminal procedure law, sentence
    12  the defendant to death, to life imprisonment without parole  in  accord-
    13  ance  with subdivision five of section 70.00 of this title, or to a term
    14  of imprisonment for a class A-I felony other than  a  sentence  of  life
    15  imprisonment without parole, in accordance with subdivisions one through
    16  three  of  section  70.00  of  this title. When a person is convicted of
    17  murder in the second degree as defined in subdivision  five  of  section
    18  125.25  of  this chapter or of the crime of aggravated murder as defined
    19  in subdivision one of section 125.26 of this chapter, or of the crime of
    20  murder in the first degree as defined in subparagraph (i), (ii),  (ii-a)
    21  or  (iii)  of paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section 125.27 of this
    22  chapter and the sentence  of  death  is  not  imposed  the  court  shall
    23  sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without parole in accordance
    24  with  subdivision  five of section 70.00 of this title. When a defendant
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05297-01-7
        A. 1726                             2
     1  is convicted of the crime of terrorism as defined in section  490.25  of
     2  this  chapter,  and  the  specified offense the defendant committed is a
     3  class A-I felony offense, or when a defendant is convicted of the  crime
     4  of  criminal possession of a chemical weapon or biological weapon in the
     5  first degree as defined in section 490.45 of this  chapter,  or  when  a
     6  defendant is convicted of the crime of criminal use of a chemical weapon
     7  or biological weapon in the first degree as defined in section 490.55 of
     8  this  chapter,  the court shall sentence the defendant to life imprison-
     9  ment without parole in accordance with subdivision five of section 70.00
    10  of this title; provided, however, that nothing  in  this  section  shall
    11  preclude  or  prevent  a  sentence  of  death when the defendant is also
    12  convicted of murder in the first degree as defined in section 125.27  of
    13  this  chapter.  When  a  defendant  is convicted of aggravated murder as
    14  defined in subdivision two of section 125.26 of this chapter, the  court
    15  shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without parole or to a
    16  term  of  imprisonment  for  a class A-I felony other than a sentence of
    17  life imprisonment without parole, in accordance  with  subdivisions  one
    18  through three of section 70.00 of this title.
    19    §  2.  Subparagraph  (i)  of paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 of section
    20  70.00 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 107 of the laws  of  2006,
    21  is amended to read as follows:
    22    (i) For a class A-I felony, such minimum period shall not be less than
    23  fifteen  years  nor more than twenty-five years; provided, however, that
    24  (A) where a sentence, other than a sentence of death or  life  imprison-
    25  ment  without parole, is imposed upon a defendant convicted of murder in
    26  the first degree as defined in  subparagraph  (iv),  (v),  (vi),  (vii),
    27  (viii), (ix), (x), (xi), (xii) or (xiii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision
    28  one  of  section 125.27 of this chapter such minimum period shall be not
    29  less than twenty years nor more than twenty-five years, and, (B) where a
    30  sentence is imposed upon a defendant convicted of murder in  the  second
    31  degree  as defined in subdivision five of section 125.25 of this chapter
    32  or convicted of aggravated murder as defined in section 125.26  of  this
    33  chapter, or where a sentence, other than a sentence of death, is imposed
    34  upon  a  defendant convicted of murder in the first degree as defined in
    35  subparagraph (i), (ii), (ii-a) or (iii) of paragraph (a) of  subdivision
    36  one of section 125.27 of this chapter, the sentence shall be life impri-
    37  sonment  without  parole,  and,  (C)  where a sentence is imposed upon a
    38  defendant convicted of attempted murder in the first degree  as  defined
    39  in  article  one hundred ten of this chapter and subparagraph (i), (ii),
    40  (ii-a) or (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision one and paragraph (b) of
    41  subdivision one of section 125.27 of this chapter  or  attempted  aggra-
    42  vated  murder  as defined in article one hundred ten of this chapter and
    43  section 125.26 of this chapter such minimum period  shall  be  not  less
    44  than twenty years nor more than forty years.
    45    §  3.  Subdivision  5 of section 70.00 of the penal law, as amended by
    46  chapter 482 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
    47    5.  Life  imprisonment  without  parole.  Notwithstanding  any   other
    48  provision  of  law,  a  defendant sentenced to life imprisonment without
    49  parole shall not  be  or  become  eligible  for  parole  or  conditional
    50  release.  For  purposes of commitment and custody, other than parole and
    51  conditional release, such sentence shall be deemed to be  an  indetermi-
    52  nate  sentence.  A defendant may be sentenced to life imprisonment with-
    53  out parole upon conviction for the crime of murder in the  first  degree
    54  as  defined in section 125.27 of this chapter and in accordance with the
    55  procedures provided by law for imposing a sentence  for  such  crime.  A
    56  defendant  must  be  sentenced  to life imprisonment without parole upon
        A. 1726                             3
     1  conviction for the crime of terrorism as defined in  section  490.25  of
     2  this  chapter,  where the specified offense the defendant committed is a
     3  class A-I felony; the crime of criminal possession of a chemical  weapon
     4  or biological weapon in the first degree as defined in section 490.45 of
     5  this  chapter;  or  the  crime  of  criminal use of a chemical weapon or
     6  biological weapon in the first degree as defined in  section  490.55  of
     7  this  chapter; provided, however, that nothing in this subdivision shall
     8  preclude or prevent a sentence of  death  when  the  defendant  is  also
     9  convicted  of  the  crime  of  murder  in the first degree as defined in
    10  section 125.27 of this chapter.  A defendant must be sentenced  to  life
    11  imprisonment  without  parole upon conviction for the crime of murder in
    12  the second degree as defined in subdivision five of  section  125.25  of
    13  this  chapter or for the crime of aggravated murder as defined in subdi-
    14  vision one of section  125.26  of  this  chapter.  A  defendant  may  be
    15  sentenced  to  life  imprisonment without parole upon conviction for the
    16  crime of aggravated murder as defined  in  subdivision  two  of  section
    17  125.26 of this chapter or for the crime of murder in the first degree as
    18  defined  in  subparagraph (i), (ii), (ii-a) or (iii) of paragraph (a) of
    19  subdivision one of section 125.27 of this chapter and  the  sentence  of
    20  death is not imposed.
    21    § 4. Subdivisions 1 and 10 of section 400.27 of the criminal procedure
    22  law,  as  added by chapter 1 of the laws of 1995, are amended to read as
    23  follows:
    24    1. Upon [the] conviction of a defendant for the offense of  murder  in
    25  the  first  degree as defined by subparagraph (i), (ii), (ii-a) or (iii)
    26  of paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section 125.27 of the penal  law,
    27  the  court  shall  promptly  conduct a separate sentencing proceeding to
    28  determine whether the defendant shall be sentenced to death or  to  life
    29  imprisonment  without  parole  pursuant  to  subdivision five of section
    30  70.00 of the penal law. Nothing in  this  section  shall  be  deemed  to
    31  preclude  the people at any time from determining that the death penalty
    32  shall not be sought in a particular case, in  which  case  the  separate
    33  sentencing  proceeding shall not be conducted and the court may sentence
    34  such defendant to life imprisonment without parole [or to a sentence  of
    35  imprisonment  for  the  class  A-I  felony of murder in the first degree
    36  other than a sentence of life imprisonment without parole].
    37    10. (a) At the conclusion of all the  evidence,  the  people  and  the
    38  defendant  may present argument in summation for or against the sentence
    39  sought by the people. The people may deliver the first summation and the
    40  defendant may then deliver the last  summation.  Thereafter,  the  court
    41  shall  deliver  a  charge  to the jury on any matters appropriate in the
    42  circumstances. In its charge, the court must instruct the jury that with
    43  respect to each count of murder in  the  first  degree,  as  defined  in
    44  subparagraph  (i), (ii), (ii-a) or (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision
    45  one of section 125.27 of the penal law, the jury should consider whether
    46  or not a sentence of death should  be  imposed  and  whether  or  not  a
    47  sentence  of  life  imprisonment  without parole should be imposed[, and
    48  that the jury must be unanimous with respect  to  either  sentence.  The
    49  court  must  also  instruct the jury that in the event the jury fails to
    50  reach unanimous agreement with respect to the sentence, the  court  will
    51  sentence  the defendant to a term of imprisonment with a minimum term of
    52  between twenty and twenty-five years and a maximum term of life. Follow-
    53  ing the court's charge, the jury shall retire to consider  the  sentence
    54  to  be imposed. Unless inconsistent with the provisions of this section,
    55  the provisions of sections 310.10, 310.20 and 310.30  shall  govern  the
    56  deliberations of the jury].
        A. 1726                             4
     1    (b)  The  court must instruct the jury that the jury must be unanimous
     2  with respect to the sentence to be imposed. The court must also instruct
     3  the jury that in the event the jury fails to reach  unanimous  agreement
     4  with respect to the sentence, the court will sentence the defendant to a
     5  term of life imprisonment without parole.
     6    (c)  Following  the  court's charge, the jury shall retire to consider
     7  the sentence to be imposed. Unless inconsistent with the  provisions  of
     8  this  section,  the  provisions of sections 310.10, 310.20 and 310.30 of
     9  this part shall govern the deliberations of the jury.
    10    § 5. This act  shall  take  effect  immediately  and  shall  apply  to
    11  offenses committed on or after such effective date.