<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><meta http-equiv='content-language' content='en-us'/><title>SDLRC - Codified Law 23A-27A-4 - Aggravating circumstance and recommendation of death penalty required for Class A felony death sentencing--Life imprisonment--Bench trial or guilty plea. </title><meta name="Generator" content="PowerTools for Open XML" /><style>span { white-space: pre-wrap; } p.s2048833Normal { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } span.s2048833SENU { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2048833CL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } p.s2048833Normal-000000 { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; text-indent: 0.50in; text-align: justify; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; } span.s2048833DefaultParagraphFont { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2048833000001 { font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2048833SCL { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2048833SCL-000002 { font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } body { text-decoration-skip-ink: none; } </style></head><body><div><p dir="ltr" class="s2048833Normal"><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&amp;Statute=23A-27A-4"><span class="s2048833SENU">23A-27A-4</span></a><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2048833SENU">. </span><span class="s2048833CL">Aggravating circumstance and recommendation of death penalty required for Class A felony death sentencing--Life imprisonment--Bench trial or guilty plea.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2048833Normal-000000"><span class="s2048833DefaultParagraphFont">If, upon a trial by jury, a person is convicted of a Class A felony, a sentence of death shall not be imposed unless the jury verdict at the presentence hearing includes a finding of at least one aggravating circumstance and a recommendation that such sentence be imposed. If an aggravating circumstance is found and a recommendation of death is made, the court shall sentence the defendant to death. If a sentence of death is not recommended by the jury, the court shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment. The provisions of this section shall not affect a sentence when the case is tried without a jury or when a court accepts a plea of guilty.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2048833Normal"><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2048833000001"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2048833Normal"><span class="s2048833SCL">Source:</span><span xml:space="preserve" class="s2048833SCL-000002"> SL 1979, ch 160, § 4.</span></p></div></body></html>