Attorney General Marshall: SB143 Signed into Law, Preparations Begin for Implementation

Our prosecutors will be trained and ready when this law takes effect in September (Montgomery) – Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall today applauds the enactment of SB143. The newly-minted law provides penalty enhancements for felonies committed to further the interest of any criminal enterprise or gang.

It also attaches mandatory minimum sentences to the possession or use of a firearm during the commission of certain crimes and ensures that individuals aged 16 and older will be charged as adults for any violation of these provisions. SB143 was sponsored by Senator Will Barfoot and Representative Allen Treadaway.

The measure was unanimously passed by the Senate and approved in the House by a vote of 95 to 6. The law will take effect on September 1, 2023.

“In the coming weeks, I will be announcing a coalition of investigators, prosecutors, and experts that will focus exclusively on the enforcement of this act,” said Attorney General Marshall. “We will also be setting up training opportunities for local law enforcement throughout our state. We didn’t draft and advocate for this bill just to say we did something to fix Alabama’s violent crime problem—we intend to deliver real results.”

The Attorney General added, “The legislature deserves a great deal of credit for taking this proposal seriously and I am especially encouraged by the bipartisan support that we’ve received.”

As the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of Alabama, Attorney General Marshall led the charge this legislative session to correct deficiencies within the state’s criminal justice system, spearheading efforts to target gang violence and to reform correctional incentive time. In April, 162 Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police from across the state called on the legislature to pass SB143.