Title 17, Chapter 10, Section 30
( 17-10-30)
(a) The death penalty may be imposed for the offenses of aircraft
hijacking or treason in any case. (b) In all cases of other offenses for which the death penalty may
be authorized, the judge shall consider, or he shall include in his
instructions to the jury for it to consider, any mitigating
circumstances or aggravating circumstances otherwise authorized by
law and any of the following statutory aggravating circumstances
which may be supported by the evidence: (1) The offense of murder, rape, armed robbery, or kidnapping was
committed by a person with a prior record of conviction for a
capital felony; (2) The offense of murder, rape, armed robbery, or kidnapping was
committed while the offender was engaged in the commission of
another capital felony or aggravated battery, or the offense of
murder was committed while the offender was engaged in the
commission of burglary or arson in the first degree; (3) The offender, by his act of murder, armed robbery, or
kidnapping, knowingly created a great risk of death to more than
one person in a public place by means of a weapon or device which
would normally be hazardous to the lives of more than one person; (4) The offender committed the offense of murder for himself or
another, for the purpose of receiving money or any other thing of
monetary value; (5) The murder of a judicial officer, former judicial officer,
district attorney or solicitor-general, or former district
attorney, solicitor, or solicitor-general was committed during or
because of the exercise of his or her official duties; (6) The offender caused or directed another to commit murder or
committed murder as an agent or employee of another person; (7) The offense of murder, rape, armed robbery, or kidnapping was
outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible, or inhuman in that it
involved torture, depravity of mind, or an aggravated battery to
the victim; (8) The offense of murder was committed against any peace officer,
corrections employee, or fireman while engaged in the performance
of his official duties; (9) The offense of murder was committed by a person in, or who has
escaped from, the lawful custody of a peace officer or place of
lawful confinement; or (10) The murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding,
interfering with, or preventing a lawful arrest or custody in a
place of lawful confinement, of himself or another. (c) The statutory instructions as determined by the trial judge to
be warranted by the evidence shall be given in charge and in writing
to the jury for its deliberation. The jury, if its verdict is a
recommendation of death, shall designate in writing, signed by the
foreman of the jury, the aggravating circumstance or circumstances
which it found beyond a reasonable doubt. In nonjury cases the judge
shall make such designation. Except in cases of treason or aircraft
hijacking, unless at least one of the statutory aggravating
circumstances enumerated in subsection (b) of this Code section is
so found, the death penalty shall not be imposed. |