Five new bills that could affect the Alabama criminal justice system

There are currently 72 new bills pending for the upcoming Alabama legislative session, 59 from the House and 13 from the Senate — including many dealing with criminal justice issues.

Here's a look at some of the notable bills from the House Judiciary Committee that may the floor this upcoming session.

∎ HB 16, authored by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, would allow a cash bail lower than the sum amount be accepted upon approval from judicial officer who set it. Currently, the cash bail set is the required amount that must be paid to make bail, no less.

England also authored HB 27, which would allow those convicted to file for resentencing if a judge's sentence is other than what the jury recommended. Currently, a jury's advisory is not binding, but the sentencing judge must take it into consideration.

∎ HB 39, authored by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, establishes virtual kidnapping as a crime and creates penalties for the act. It would label virtual kidnapping as a Class C felony. Virtual kidnapping is defined as threats to confine, restrain or cause physical harm to a person with intent of obtaining control over property of another.

∎ HB 42, titled the Sound of Freedom Act and authored by Rep. Donna Givens, R-Loxley, would make human trafficking of a minor punishable by a minimum of life in prison. Human trafficking of any circumstance is currently as Class A felony punishable by 20 years to life in prison.

∎ SB 8, authored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would establish theft of mail as property theft. It would also update the language in the state's existing property theft bill. In the existing law, property theft is established as knowingly obtaining another's property through unauthorized control, deception, in the custody of a law enforcement agency, or over any donated item left on the property of a charitable organization or drop box or trailer.

Victor Hagan is the Alabama Election Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at vhagan@gannett.com. To support his work, subscribe to Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama legislature: 5 bills that could affect AL's justice system