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(Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

A bill to remove from judges the authority to issue a death sentence after a jury has recommended life in prison won approval today in the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee.

The bill cleared the committee on a 5-3 vote, with committee chairman Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, casting the last and deciding vote.

Ward joined four Democrats in voting for the bill and said he thought it was the right thing to do.

Sen. Dick Brewbaker, R-Montgomery, is sponsoring the bill. It moves to the full Senate.

Alabama is the only remaining state that allows judges to override jury's recommendations and issue a death sentence.

Brewbaker told the committee that from 2005 to 2015, judges overrode juries and issued death sentences 23 times. Twelve of those came in election years, which Brewbaker said is a strong indication that politics was influencing the decisions.

"Election cycles are influencing sentencing, and that can't be good," Brewbaker said.

Voting in favor of the bill were Sens. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham; Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile; Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro; Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, and Ward.

Voting no were Sens. Clay Scofield, R-Guntersville; Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia and Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City.

Williams said it was wrong to assume that judges allowed their decisions to be influenced by politics.

"The issue before us right now is do we believe in the sovereignty of the jury," Williams said. "That's what the issue is. The issue cannot be that someone is elected to an office therefore they must be corrupt and make bad decisions because they were elected."

Brewbaker said it was not his intent to impugn the integrity of judges, but said the numbers speak for themselves.

"I think if you look at it statistically, it's pretty clear the election cycle is playing a role in this," Brewbaker said. "And I'm not trying to impugn an officer of the court. I'm just saying they're involved in the political process in exactly the same way legislators are."

Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, who has sponsored legislation to place restrictions or repeal the death penalty for years, is sponsoring a bill similar to Brewbaker's this year.

Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, has a similar bill in the House.