Section 13A-5-42 Guilty plea; burden of proof upon state; waiver; sentencing.
Section 13A-5-42
Guilty plea; burden of proof upon state; waiver; sentencing.
A defendant who is indicted for a capital offense may plead guilty to it, but the state must in any event prove the defendant's guilt of the capital offense beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury. The guilty plea may be considered in determining whether the state has met that burden of proof. The guilty plea shall have the effect of waiving all non-jurisdictional defects in the proceeding resulting in the conviction except the sufficiency of the evidence. A defendant convicted of a capital offense after pleading guilty to it shall be sentenced according to the provisions of Section 13A-5-43(d).
(Acts 1981, No. 81-178, p. 203, §4.)