Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-618

This is the official text of Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-618, part of Arkansas’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of Arkansas, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Defendants with intellectual disabilities

Official statutory text

(a) (1) As used in this section, "intellectual disabilities" means: (A) Significantly below-average general intellectual functioning accompanied by a significant deficit or impairment in adaptive functioning manifest in the developmental period, but no later than eighteen (18) years of age; and (B) A deficit in adaptive behavior. (2) There is a rebuttable presumption of intellectual disabilities when a defendant has an intelligence quotient of sixty-five (65) or below. (b) No defendant with intellectual disabilities at the time of committing capital murder shall be sentenced to death. (c) The defendant has the burden of proving intellectual disabilities at the time of committing the offense by a preponderance of the evidence. (d) (1) A defendant on trial for capital murder shall raise the special sentencing provision of intellectual disabilities by motion prior to trial. (2) (A) Prior to trial, the court shall determine if the defendant has an intellectual disability. (B) (i) If the court determines that the defendant does not have an intellectual disability, the defendant may raise the question of an intellectual disability to the jury for determination de novo during the sentencing phase of the trial. (ii) At the time the jury retires to decide mitigating and aggravating circumstances, the jury shall be given a special verdict form on an intellectual disability. (iii) If the jury unanimously determines that the defendant had an intellectual disability at the time of the commission of capital murder, then the defendant will automatically be sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. (C) If the court determines that the defendant has an intellectual disability, then: (i) The jury is not "death qualified"; and (ii) The jury shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without possibility of parole upon conviction. (e) However, this section is not deemed to: (1) Require unanimity for consideration of any mitigating circumstance; or (2) Supersede any suggested mitigating circumstance regarding mental defect or disease currently found in § 5-4-605 . Amended by Act 2019, No. 1035,§ 3, eff. 7/24/2019. Acts 1993, No. 420, § 1.

(a) (1) As used in this section, "intellectual disabilities" means: (A) Significantly below-average general intellectual functioning accompanied by a significant deficit or impairment in adaptive functioning manifest in the developmental period, but no later than eighteen (18) years of age; and (B) A deficit in adaptive behavior. (2) There is a rebuttable presumption of intellectual disabilities when a defendant has an intelligence quotient of sixty-five (65) or below.

(1) As used in this section, "intellectual disabilities" means: (A) Significantly below-average general intellectual functioning accompanied by a significant deficit or impairment in adaptive functioning manifest in the developmental period, but no later than eighteen (18) years of age; and (B) A deficit in adaptive behavior.

(A) Significantly below-average general intellectual functioning accompanied by a significant deficit or impairment in adaptive functioning manifest in the developmental period, but no later than eighteen (18) years of age; and

(B) A deficit in adaptive behavior.

(2) There is a rebuttable presumption of intellectual disabilities when a defendant has an intelligence quotient of sixty-five (65) or below.

(b) No defendant with intellectual disabilities at the time of committing capital murder shall be sentenced to death.

(c) The defendant has the burden of proving intellectual disabilities at the time of committing the offense by a preponderance of the evidence.
here is a rebuttable presumption of intellectual disabilities when a defendant has an intelligence quotient of sixty-five (65) or below.

(b) No defendant with intellectual disabilities at the time of committing capital murder shall be sentenced to death.

(c) The defendant has the burden of proving intellectual disabilities at the time of committing the offense by a preponderance of the evidence.

(d) (1) A defendant on trial for capital murder shall raise the special sentencing provision of intellectual disabilities by motion prior to trial. (2) (A) Prior to trial, the court shall determine if the defendant has an intellectual disability. (B) (i) If the court determines that the defendant does not have an intellectual disability, the defendant may raise the question of an intellectual disability to the jury for determination de novo during the sentencing phase of the trial. (ii) At the time the jury retires to decide mitigating and aggravating circumstances, the jury shall be given a special verdict form on an intellectual disability. (iii) If the jury unanimously determines that the defendant had an intellectual disability at the time of the commission of capital murder, then the defendant will automatically be sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. (C) If the court determines that the defendant has an intellectual disability, then: (i) The jury is not "death qualified"; and (ii) The jury shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without possibility of parole upon conviction.

(1) A defendant on trial for capital murder shall raise the special sentencing provision of intellectual disabilities by motion prior to trial.

(2) (A) Prior to trial, the court shall determine if the defendant has an intellectual disability. (B) (i) If the court determines that the defendant does not have an intellectual disability, the defendant may raise the question of an intellectual disability to the jury for determination de novo during the sentencing phase of the trial. (ii) At the time the jury retires to decide mitigating and aggravating circumstances, the jury shall be given a special verdict form on an intellectual disability. (iii) If the jury unanimously determines that the defendant had an intellectual disability at the time of the commission of capital murder, then the defendant will automatically be sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. (C) If the court determines that the defendant has an intellectual disability, then: (i) The jury is not "death qualified"; and (ii) The jury shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without possibility of parole upon conviction.

(A) Prior to trial, the court shall determine if the defendant has an intellectual disability.

(B) (i) If the court determines that the defendant does not have an intellectual disability, the defendant may raise the question of an intellectual disability to the jury for determination de novo during the sentencing phase of the trial. (ii) At the time the jury retires to decide mitigating and aggravating circumstances, the jury shall be given a special verdict form on an intellectual disability. (iii) If the jury unanimously determines that the defendant had an intellectual disability at the time of the commission of capital murder, then the defendant will automatically be sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole.
t the time the jury retires to decide mitigating and aggravating circumstances, the jury shall be given a special verdict form on an intellectual disability. (iii) If the jury unanimously determines that the defendant had an intellectual disability at the time of the commission of capital murder, then the defendant will automatically be sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole.

(i) If the court determines that the defendant does not have an intellectual disability, the defendant may raise the question of an intellectual disability to the jury for determination de novo during the sentencing phase of the trial.

(ii) At the time the jury retires to decide mitigating and aggravating circumstances, the jury shall be given a special verdict form on an intellectual disability.

(iii) If the jury unanimously determines that the defendant had an intellectual disability at the time of the commission of capital murder, then the defendant will automatically be sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole.

(C) If the court determines that the defendant has an intellectual disability, then: (i) The jury is not "death qualified"; and (ii) The jury shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without possibility of parole upon conviction.

(i) The jury is not "death qualified"; and

(ii) The jury shall sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without possibility of parole upon conviction.

(e) However, this section is not deemed to: (1) Require unanimity for consideration of any mitigating circumstance; or (2) Supersede any suggested mitigating circumstance regarding mental defect or disease currently found in § 5-4-605 .

(1) Require unanimity for consideration of any mitigating circumstance; or

(2) Supersede any suggested mitigating circumstance regarding mental defect or disease currently found in § 5-4-605 .

Amended by Act 2019, No. 1035,§ 3, eff. 7/24/2019.

Acts 1993, No. 420, § 1.

Status: in_force

Need a lawyer in Arkansas?

Find a Arkansas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.