Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb2715%20intr.htm&yr=2017&sesstype=RS&i=2715
Timestamp: 2019-07-21 19:50:51
Document Index: 636535357

Matched Legal Cases: ['§61', '§62', '§61', '§61', '§61', '§61', '§61', '§61', '§61', '§61', '§62', '§62', '§62', '§62']

By Delegates Wilson, Phillips, Paynter, Higginbotham, Dean and Maynard
A BILL to repeal §61-11-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to repeal §62-3-15 of said code; to amend and reenact §61-2-2 of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto seven new sections, designated §61-2-2a, §61-2-2b, §61-2-2c, §61-2-2d, §61-2-2e, §61-2-2f and §61-2-2g; and to amend said code by adding thereto four new sections, designated §62-7-4, §62-7-5, §62-7-6 and §62-7-6a, all relating to the death penalty for first degree murder; procedures, standards and findings applicable to imposition thereof in certain instances including aggravating and mitigating circumstances; sentencing; providing automatic review of the death penalty by the Supreme Court of Appeals; providing for forensic deoxyribonucleic acid ("DNA") testing of biological material in death penalty cases; providing for execution of the death sentence by lethal injection; providing for delivery of sentence of death to officer retaining custody of person so sentenced; providing for transmission of indictment, order of conviction, sentence and judgment entered thereon to the warden of the state correctional facility; transfer of person sentenced to death to the state correctional facility; execution; providing presence of certain persons be requested for the execution; providing for certification that sentence of death has been executed; and providing for disposition of the body.
(a) When a defendant is convicted of murder in the first degree, aggravating circumstances shall be limited to the following:
(2) The victim was a fireman, peace officer, correctional officer, parole officer, judicial officer or any other public servant killed while in the performance of his or her official duty;
(10) The murder was the result of or was contributed to by the defendant's use of a controlled substance;
(b) A finding of aggravated circumstances may not be based on circumstantial evidence but requires some physical evidence, such as forensic DNA evidence, or an uncoerced confession.
(7) The defendant's participation in the murder at issue was relatively minor; and
(a) Whenever the death penalty is imposed and upon the judgment becoming final in the circuit court, the sentence shall automatically be reviewed on the record by the Supreme Court of Appeals. The clerk of the circuit court, within ten days after receiving the transcript, shall transmit the entire record and transcript to the Supreme Court of Appeals together with a notice prepared by the clerk and a report prepared by the circuit judge. The notice shall set forth the title and docket number of the case, the name of the defendant and the name and address of his or her attorney, a narrative statement of the judgment, the offense and the punishment prescribed. The report shall be in a standard form prepared and supplied by the Supreme Court of Appeals.
(i) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the circumstances under which a person may obtain DNA testing or other post-conviction relief under any other provision of law.