Ch. 237                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                   

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1987.

Approved April 29, 1987.

CHAPTER 237                                   

(House Bill 693)                   

AN ACT concerning                                                                                       

First Degree Murder - Additional Penalty - Imprisonment
for Life Without Parole

FOR the purpose of providing for imprisonment for life without
the possibility of parole as a penalty for first degree
murder; requiring the State to notify the defendant of its
intention to seek a sentence of imprisonment for life
without the possibility of parole; providing that a court
shall impose life imprisonment if the court or jury
determines that the death sentence may not be imposed and if
the State did not give certain notice of intention to seek a
sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of
parole; providing that the court or jury shall conduct a
certain sentencing hearing if the State gave a certain
notice of intention to seek a sentence of imprisonment for
life without the possibility of parole to a person convicted
of first degree murder; altering the instructions that a
court is required to give to the jury after in the
sentencing proceeding; providing for a determination by the
court or jury whether to impose a sentence of imprisonment
for' life without the possibility of parole if the State gave
notices of intention to seek imprisonment for life without
the possibility of parole in addition to seeking the death
penalty; requiring a jury, under certain circumstances, to
agree unanimously on whether to impose a sentence of life
imprisonment without the possibility of parole; requiring
the court, under certain circumstances, to impose the
sentence of imprisonment for life without the possibility of
parole if the jury agrees unanimously; requiring the court
to dismiss a jury and impose a sentence of imprisonment for
life under certain circumstances; providing for evidence
admissible in certain sentencing proceedings; providing for
certain aggravating circumstances to be considered by the
court; providing for life imprisonment in a hearing on a
possible sentence of life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole when aggravating circumstances are
absent or are outweighed by certain mitigating
circumstances; providing for a written determination by the
court; providing for the imposition of sentence; providing

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