Alabama Senate Votes to End Judicial Override
Alabama is the only state left allowing judicial override. That’s where elected judges can overrule a jury verdict of life to impose a death sentence. But that might come to an end. This week, the Alabama Senate passed a bill that would prohibit the practice. WBHM’s Gigi Douban talked with Don Dailey of Alabama Public Television about this and other happenings in the legislature this week.
The Highlights
The Senate approved the judicial override bill 30-1. The legislation won support from judges, Dailey says, because the outcry on the issue has reached reached a boiling point. He adds there’ve been a number of high-profile cases where judicial override was a factor.
Almost 20 percent of those on Alabama’s death row were sentenced to death through judicial override, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. That organization says judicial override is the primary reason Alabama has the highest per capita death sentencing rate in the country.
A similar bill in the House would require that jury decisions imposing a death sentence be unanimous.
Israel launches deadly series of attacks on Gaza
Israel said the early Tuesday attacks were launched after Hamas refused to release more hostages held in Gaza. The strikes appeared to end the current ceasefire that took began in mid-January.
He lost his first LA Marathon medal in the fires — this weekend he got his second
15-year-old fire survivor Abel Rivera's home in Altadena burned down in January, and he lost everything — including his medal for finishing the 2024 LA Marathon.
A U.S. airman is charged in death of a South Dakota woman who had vanished in August
Quinterius Chappelle was arrested on a federal charge of second-degree murder in the death of Sahela Sangrait, according to the Pennington County Sheriff's Office.
Harvard will be free for students whose families make $100,000 or less
The expanded financial aid plan will also offer free tuition to families that make $200,000 or less. The move comes after affirmative action was barred from the admissions process.
Judge seeks sworn declaration from Justice Department in deportation case
At issue was whether plane-loads of alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang were deported despite the judge's order to turn the planes around.
The VA will deny gender dysphoria treatment to new patients
While the VA never offered gender-affirming surgery, it did offer treatments like hormone therapy. The agency says less than than 0.1% of the 9 million veterans it provides care for identify as trans.