Eric’s Law

S 529, "Eric's Law," amends federal death penalty sentencing procedures to address jury deadlocks. It requires courts to impanel a new jury if the original jury fails to reach a unanimous sentencing recommendation (death, life without parole, or a lesser sentence) in capital cases. If the new jury also cannot agree unanimously, the court must impose a non-death sentence authorized by law. This directly affects federal defendants facing capital charges where juries cannot unanimously agree on sentencing.