Arise Citizens’ Policy Project executive director Kimble Forrister issued the following statement Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, after the state Senate voted 30-1 to end Alabama’s judicial override policy, which allows judges to impose a death sentence in capital cases despite a jury’s sentencing recommendation of life in prison without the possibility of parole:

“The Senate’s vote to end judicial override in death penalty cases is a step in the right direction for Alabama’s justice system. The right to a trial by jury is a cornerstone of our justice system, and we should respect a jury’s ability to weigh the evidence for sentencing, just as we do on guilt or innocence. Alabama is the only state that still allows judicial overrides, and it’s time to join the rest of the country in making this outdated practice a thing of the past.”