A. A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to murder in the first degree shall be punished by death, by imprisonment for life without parole or by imprisonment for life. A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to murder in the first degree, as described in subsection E of Section 701.7 of this title, shall be punished by death or by life without parole and absent an overwhelming amount of mitigating evidence shall not be entitled to or afforded the benefit of receiving imprisonment for life or deferment of the sentence.
B. A person who is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to murder in the second degree shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not less than ten (10) years nor more than life.
Added by Laws 1976, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 1, § 3, eff. July 24, 1976. Amended by Laws 1987, c. 96, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1987; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 233, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 5, § 137, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2004, c. 520, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2004; Laws 2017, c. 169, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2017.
NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 233 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.