Bill Text: TX SB929 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the extent of a defendant's criminal responsibility for the conduct of a coconspirator in certain capital felony cases.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-06 - Co-author authorized [SB929 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB929-Introduced.html
86R10122 KJE-F | ||
By: Hinojosa | S.B. No. 929 |
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relating to the extent of a defendant's criminal responsibility for | ||
the conduct of a coconspirator in certain capital felony cases. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 1, Article 37.071, Code of Criminal | ||
Procedure, is amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1. (a) If a defendant is found guilty in a capital | ||
felony case in which the state does not seek the death penalty or in | ||
a capital felony case described by Subsection (b), the judge shall | ||
sentence the defendant to life imprisonment or to life imprisonment | ||
without parole as required by Section 12.31, Penal Code. | ||
(b) A defendant who is found guilty in a capital felony case | ||
in which the jury charge at the guilt or innocence stage permitted | ||
the jury to find the defendant guilty as a party under Section | ||
7.02(b), Penal Code, may not be sentenced to death. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 2, Article 37.0711, Code of Criminal | ||
Procedure, is amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 2. (a) If a defendant is found guilty in a case in | ||
which the state does not seek the death penalty or in a case | ||
described by Subsection (b), the judge shall sentence the defendant | ||
to life imprisonment. | ||
(b) A defendant who is found guilty in a capital felony case | ||
in which the jury charge at the guilt or innocence stage permitted | ||
the jury to find the defendant guilty as a party under Section | ||
7.02(b), Penal Code, may not be sentenced to death. | ||
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to a | ||
criminal proceeding that commences on or after the effective date | ||
of this Act. A criminal proceeding that commences before the | ||
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the | ||
date the proceeding commenced, and the former law is continued in | ||
effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |