MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Judiciary, Division B
By: Senator(s) Fillingane
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 97-3-21 AND 99-19-101, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING OPTIONS FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN COMPLIANCE WITH UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT HOLDINGS IN THE CASES OF MILLER V. ALABAMA AND ROPER V. SIMMONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 97-3-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
97-3-21. (1) Except as
otherwise provided for a juvenile offender in subsection (2) of this section,
every person who * * * is:
(a) Convicted of first-degree murder shall be sentenced by the court to imprisonment for life in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
( * * *b) * * * Convicted of second-degree
murder shall be imprisoned for life in the custody of the Department of
Corrections if the punishment is so fixed by the jury in its verdict after a
separate sentencing proceeding. If the jury fails to agree on fixing the
penalty at imprisonment for life, the court shall fix the penalty at not less
than twenty (20) nor more than forty (40) years in the custody of the
Department of Corrections.
( * * *c) * * * Convicted of
capital murder shall be sentenced ( * * *i) to death; ( * * *ii) to imprisonment for life in the
State Penitentiary without parole; or ( * * *iii) to imprisonment for life in the
State Penitentiary with eligibility for parole as provided in Section 47-7-3(1)( * * *c)(iii).
(2) (a) For the purposes of this section, "juvenile offender" means a person who had not reached the age of eighteen (18) years at the time of the commission of the offense.
(b) A juvenile offender who is convicted of first-degree or second-degree murder or capital murder may be sentenced to life imprisonment or life imprisonment without eligibility for parole in the custody of the Department of Corrections if the punishment is so fixed by the judge after a separate sentencing proceeding held without a jury as provided in Section 99-19-101.
(c) If the court, sitting without a jury, finds the imposition of a sentence to life imprisonment or life imprisonment without eligibility for parole to be unjustified, the court shall fix the penalty as follows:
(i) For first-degree murder, at not less than twenty (20) nor more than forty (40) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
(ii) For second-degree murder, at not less than fifteen (15) nor more than thirty (30) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
(iii) For capital murder, at not less than twenty-five (25) nor more than fifty (50) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
(d) The provisions of this subsection (2) apply retroactively irrespective of the dates of the commission of the offense, an arrest was made, or a judgment of conviction was entered.
SECTION 2. Section 99-19-101, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
99-19-101. (1) Upon conviction or adjudication of guilt of a defendant of capital murder or other capital offense, the court shall conduct a separate sentencing proceeding to determine whether the defendant should be sentenced to death, life imprisonment without eligibility for parole, or life imprisonment; a sentence of death cannot be imposed if the defendant was not at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of the commission of the offense. If the defendant was under eighteen (18) years of age at the time of the commission of the offense, subsection (9) of this section applies; otherwise the proceeding shall be conducted by the trial judge before the trial jury as soon as practicable. If, through impossibility or inability, the trial jury is unable to reconvene for a hearing on the issue of penalty, having determined the guilt of the accused, the trial judge may summon a jury to determine the issue of the imposition of the penalty. If the trial jury has been waived, or if the defendant pleaded guilty, the sentencing proceeding shall be conducted before a jury impaneled for that purpose or may be conducted before the trial judge sitting without a jury if both the State of Mississippi and the defendant agree thereto in writing. In the proceeding, evidence may be presented as to any matter that the court deems relevant to sentence, and shall include matters relating to any of the aggravating or mitigating circumstances. However, this subsection shall not be construed to authorize the introduction of any evidence secured in violation of the Constitution of the United States or of the State of Mississippi. The state and the defendant and the defendant's counsel shall be permitted to present arguments for or against the sentence of death.
(2) After hearing all the evidence, the jury, or the judge sitting without a jury, shall deliberate on the following matters:
(a) Whether sufficient factors exist as enumerated in subsection (7) of this section;
(b) Whether sufficient aggravating circumstances exist as enumerated in subsection (5) of this section;
(c) Whether sufficient mitigating circumstances exist as enumerated in subsection (6) of this section, which outweigh the aggravating circumstances found to exist; and
(d) Based on these considerations, whether the defendant should be sentenced to life imprisonment, life imprisonment without eligibility for parole, or death.
(3) For the jury to impose a sentence of death, it must unanimously find in writing the following:
(a) That sufficient factors exist as enumerated in subsection (7) of this section;
(b) That sufficient
aggravating circumstances exist as enumerated in subsection (5) of this
section; * * *
(c) That there are
insufficient mitigating circumstances, as enumerated in subsection (6), to
outweigh the aggravating circumstances * * *; and
(d) That the defendant was eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of the commission of the offense.
In each case in which the jury imposes the death sentence, the determination of the jury shall be supported by specific written findings of fact based upon the circumstances in subsections (5) and (6) of this section and upon the records of the trial and the sentencing proceedings. If, after the trial of the penalty phase, the jury does not make the findings requiring the death sentence or life imprisonment without eligibility for parole, or is unable to reach a decision, the court shall impose a sentence of life imprisonment.
(4) The judgment of conviction and sentence of death shall be subject to automatic review by the Supreme Court of Mississippi within sixty (60) days after certification by the sentencing court of the entire record, unless the time is extended for an additional period by the Supreme Court for good cause shown. The review by the Supreme Court shall have priority over all other cases and shall be heard in accordance with rules promulgated by the Supreme Court.
(5) Aggravating circumstances shall be limited to the following:
(a) The capital offense was committed by a person under sentence of imprisonment.
(b) The defendant was previously convicted of another capital offense or of a felony involving the use or threat of violence to the person.
(c) The defendant knowingly created a great risk of death to many persons.
(d) The capital offense was committed while the defendant was engaged, or was an accomplice, in the commission of, or an attempt to commit, or flight after committing or attempting to commit, any robbery, rape, arson, burglary, kidnapping, aircraft piracy, sexual battery, unnatural intercourse with any child under the age of twelve (12), or nonconsensual unnatural intercourse with mankind, or felonious abuse or battery of a child in violation of subsection (2) of Section 97-5-39, or the unlawful use or detonation of a bomb or explosive device.
(e) The capital offense was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest or effecting an escape from custody.
(f) The capital offense was committed for pecuniary gain.
(g) The capital offense was committed to disrupt or hinder the lawful exercise of any governmental function or the enforcement of laws.
(h) The capital offense was committed to influence the policy of a governmental entity by intimidation or coercion, or to affect the conduct of a governmental entity by mass destruction or assassination.
(i) The capital offense was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel.
(j) The capital offense was committed to intimidate or coerce a civilian population.
(6) Mitigating circumstances shall be the following:
(a) The defendant has no significant history of prior criminal activity.
(b) The offense was committed while the defendant was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance.
(c) The victim was a participant in the defendant's conduct or consented to the act.
(d) The defendant was an accomplice in the capital offense committed by another person and his participation was relatively minor.
(e) The defendant acted under extreme duress or under the substantial domination of another person.
(f) The capacity of the defendant to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law was substantially impaired.
(g) The age of the defendant at the time of the crime.
(7) In order to return and impose a sentence of death the jury must make a written finding of one or more of the following:
(a) The defendant actually killed;
(b) The defendant attempted to kill;
(c) The defendant intended that a killing take place;
(d) The defendant contemplated that lethal force would be employed.
(8) For the purposes of this section, to "intimidate" or "coerce" do not include peaceful picketing, boycotts or other nonviolent action.
(9) If the defendant was under the age of eighteen (18) at the time of the commission of the offense, the court sitting without a jury must conduct a separate sentencing proceeding to determine whether the defendant should be sentenced to life imprisonment, life imprisonment without eligibility for parole, or imprisonment for a term of years.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2024.