USA - Alabama. Senate votes to expand death penalty law.

Senate votes to expand death penalty law. The Alabama Senate has voted to expand Alabama's death penalty law to include a defendant who kills a person who had a protective order issued against the defendant. The bill got approved by the Senate 29-0 today. The bill's sponsor is Republican Sen. Clay Scofield of Guntersville. The bill gives prosecutors the opportunity to bring a capital murder charge rather than a murder charge, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The bill now goes to the House for consideration with four meeting days remaining in the legislative session.