A conviction for a capital felony would mean life in prison, with no death sentence
What it does
HB 387 would remove the death penalty as a punishment in Texas. A person convicted of a capital felony would serve life in prison if they were younger than 18 when the crime happened, and life without parole if they were 18 or older, and juries would be told that sentence is mandatory. The bill would also strip out the death penalty procedures in the code, including the special jury process for capital cases, the extra juror challenges, and alternate jurors. The changes would apply to cases pending, on appeal, or started on or after the effective date, no matter when the crime happened, and would not disturb final convictions already in place.
What it means for your community
If a capital case is tried in your county, prosecutors would no longer seek the death penalty, and the judge would tell jurors that life or life without parole is the sentence. Every district court in Texas would work under the new rules, so the change could reach a case filed years after the crime, as long as it is still open. The bill would take effect right away if it receives a two-thirds vote of all the members elected in each house, and on September 1, 2027 if it does not.
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