Alabama Wants To Speed Up Death Penalty Process

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – The House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill aimed at shortening the time of death penalty appeals.

The committee approved the bill Tuesday sending it to the House floor.

The legislation, which has already cleared the Senate, would require inmates to raise claims of ineffective counsel and the same time as the inmate’s direct appeal claiming trial errors.

Sen. Cam Ward, an Alabaster Republican, said the current appeals process can take decades and has been abused to drag out appeals. Ward says the bill is based on Texas procedures.

Rep. Chris England, a Democrat from Tuscaloosa, argued that Alabama would have executed an inmate who was later exonerated if the quicker process had been in place.

Ray Hinton was released in 2015 after nearly 30 years on Alabama’s death row.