§ 15-20A-6 — Allegation of Sexual Motivation

Alabama § 15-20A-6

• Jurisdiction: Alabama
• Title 15: Criminal Procedure
• Ch. 20A: Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act

Text

(a)(1) The indictment, count in the indictment, information, complaint or warrant charging the offense may include a specification of sexual motivation or the prosecuting attorney may file an allegation of sexual motivation in any criminal case classified as a felony or Class A misdemeanor if sufficient admissible evidence exists that would justify a finding of sexual motivation by a reasonable and objective finder of fact.
(2) If a specification is included in the indictment, count in the indictment, information, complaint, or warrant charging the offense the specification shall be stated at the end of the body of the indictment, count in the indictment, information, complaint, or warrant and shall be in substantially the following form: “SPECIFICATION or SPECIFICATION TO THE FIRST COUNT. The Grand Jurors (or insert appropriate name) further find and specify that the offender committed the offense with a sexual motivation.”
(3) If the prosecuting attorney files an allegation of sexual motivation, it shall be filed within a reasonable time after indictment to give sufficient notice to the defendant.
(b) If the indictment, count of the indictment, information, complaint, or warrant charging the offense includes a specification of sexual motivation or if the prosecuting attorney files an allegation of sexual motivation, the state shall prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the offense with a sexual motivation.
(c) The court shall make a written finding of fact, to be made part of the record upon conviction or adjudication as a youthful offender, of whether or not a sexual motivation was present at the time of the commission of the offense unless the defendant has a trial by jury.
(d) If a defendant has a trial by jury, the jury, if it finds the defendant guilty, shall also find a special verdict as to whether or not the defendant committed the crime with a sexual motivation.
(e) If there is a finding of sexual motivation, the finding shall be made part of the record of conviction or adjudication.
(f) For purposes of this section, sexual motivation means that one of the purposes for which the defendant committed the crime was for the purpose of the sexual gratification of the defendant.
(g) This section shall not apply to sex offenses as defined in subdivisions (1) to (40), inclusive, of Section 15-20A-5.

Legislative History

(Act 2011-640, p. 1569, §6; Act 2015-463, p. 1506, §1; Act 2018-528, §4.)