Tennessee lawmakers will once again debate over criminals being exempt from the death penalty because of a severe mental illness.
After his bill failed by one vote last general sessions, Sen. Richard Briggs, introduced Senate Bill 1124 this year and will be heard by the Criminal Justice Subcommittee next week.
The bill would exempt a criminal from being sentenced to death if that person had a previous medical diagnosis of a severe mental illness and is determined to be in a psychotic state at the time of the crime.
In order to meet the requirement, the person must be diagnosed with various mental disorders defined by the American Psychiatric Association.
Briggs said attorneys would have an expert testify. The judge would determine in the pre-trial hearings if the case is appropriate for capital punishment.
If found guilty of first-degree murder, the defendant with severe mental illness would be eligible for imprisonment of life without possibility of parole.