Overview
- The state Supreme Court struck down mandatory life without parole for second-degree (felony) murder four months ago and imposed a 120-day stay that expires Friday to give the Legislature time to act.
- The Democratic-led House voted 102-100 on July 23 to pass an amended reform bill, but the changes require the measure to return to the Republican-controlled Senate for another vote.
- The Senate previously approved Senate Bill 1400 to replace mandatory LWOP with a 35-year mandatory minimum and to set parole eligibility rules for people already serving life, but that exact text must be approved again to meet the court's deadline.
- State and local prosecutors say the lack of a statutory replacement could produce widely different resentencings and possible releases, warning that roughly 1,100 people serving felony-murder life terms and dozens of pending local cases could be affected.
- Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala has filed a petition asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to extend the 120-day stay by another 120 days so lawmakers can finish a replacement scheme and the court will now decide whether to grant that extra time.