× ELECTION Coverage of Arizona's election with all-day analysis and live results beginning at 8pm.Election CoverageElection Results
  1. TV
 / Modified apr 12, 2019 9:24 a.m.

Arizona to Erase Some Possible Grounds for Death Sentences

The law gets rid of three of 14 so-called aggravating circumstances that may lead to a death sentence.
by Associated Press

AZ Capitol Dome A view of downtown Phoenix from the top of the Capitol dome.
AZPM Staff

PHOENIX — Arizona is moving to tighten the state's law on capital punishment by eliminating three of the 14 so-called aggravating circumstances that can be the basis for imposing death sentences for convicted murderers.

Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday signed into law a bill overwhelmingly approved by the House and unanimously approved by the Senate.

The circumstances being eliminated include whether the defendant created a "grave risk of death" for another person in addition to the person killed.

The other two circumstances being eliminated are if the offense was committed in a "cold, calculated manner without pretense of moral or legal justification" and if the defendant used a stun gun in committing the murder.

Officials say the circumstances being eliminated have been used rarely.

MORE: Justice System, Legislature, News
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona