04/05/2026
In 2017, Alabama made an important decision to end judicial override in capital cases. Our state recognized that when a jury has carefully heard the evidence and recommended a sentence of life without parole, that judgment should stand. It was a meaningful step toward strengthening trust in our justice system and honoring the role juries are meant to play under the Constitution.
Yet there are still individuals on death row today who were sentenced under that earlier system and their cases remain tied to an outdated practice. So, we must ask ourselves this simple, important question: If we now believe that system was unconstitutional, how should we respond to those who were affected by it?
The Bible teaches us in Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
