SB 1186 - Under current law, if a jury is unable to agree upon the punishment for the offense of murder in the first degree, the court is to instruct the jury that the judge may decide upon a punishment of life imprisonment without eligibility for parole or a sentence of death.

This act repeals the provision that a judge may decide upon a punishment of death if the jury is unable to agree.

This act is identical to SB 225 (2025), HB 452 (2025), SB 1169 (2024), SB 687 (2023), SB 825 (2022), HB 1746 (2022), HB 2700 (2022), SB 341 (2021), SB 920 (2020), SB 288 (2019), and SB 996 (2018).

KATIE O'BRIEN