Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 76.djvu/94

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PUBLIC LAW 87-423-MAR. 22, 1962

[76 STAT.

Public Law 87-423 March 22, 1962 [H. R. 5143]

D. c. Murder in f i r s t and s e c o n d degrees. Punishment. D. C. Code 222404.

AN ACT To amend section <S01 of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 801 of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901 (31 Stat. 1189, 1321), is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 801. PUNISHMENT.—The punishment of murder in the first degree shall be death by electrocution unless the jury by unanimous vote recommends life imprisonment; or if the jury, having determined by unanimous vote the guilt of the defendant as charged, is unable to agree as to punishment it shall inform the court and the court shall thereupon have jurisdiction to impose and shall impose either a sentence of death by electrocution or life imprisonment. "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person convicted of first degree murder and upon whom a sentence of life imprisonment is imposed shall be eligible for parole only after the expiration of twenty years frbm the date he commences to serve his sentence. "Whoever is guilty of murder in the second degree shall be imprisoned for life or not less than twenty years. "Cases tried prior to the effective date of this Act and which are before the court for the purpose of sentence or resentence shall be governed by the provisions of law in effect prior to the effective date of this Act: Provided, That the judge may, in his sole discretion, consider circumstances in mitigation and in aggravation and make a determination as to whether the case in his opinion justifies a sentence of life imprisonment, in which event he shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment. Such a sentence of life imprisonment shall be in accordance with the^provisons of this Act. " I n any case tried under this Act as amended where the penalty prescribed by law upon conviction of the defendant is death except m cases otherwise provided, the jury returning a verdict of guilty may by unanimous vote fix the punishment at life imprisonment; and thereupon the court shall sentence him accordingly; but if the jury shall not thus prescribe the punishment the court shall sentence the defendant to suffer death by electrocution unless the jury by its verdict indicates that it is unable to agree upon the punishment, in which case the court shall sentence the defendant to death or life imprisonment." Approved March 22, 1962.

Public Law 87-424 March 30, 1962 [H. R. 5968]

D. C. Unemployment Compensation Act, amendment. 57 Stat. 101.

AN ACT To amend the District of Columbia Unemployment amended.

Compensation

Act, as

Be- it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That subsection (b)(5)(G) of the first section of the District of Columbia Unemployment Compensation Act (D.C. Code, sec. 46-301 (b)(5)(G)) is amended by striking out "religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes," and inserting in lieu thereof "religious, or charitable purposes,".

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