Pa. Supreme Court denies Zappala request to give Legislature more time to rewrite felony murder statute
July 31, 2026
TribLive: “The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday refused to allow any more delays before its ruling takes effect that found the state’s felony murder statute is unconstitutional.
In March, the court unanimously ruled a mandatory sentence of life without parole for felony, or second-degree, murder is unconstitutional.
It gave the state Legislature 120 days to create a new sentencing scheme for more than 1,000 prisoners in Pennsylvania serving that sentence.
But while the state House and Senate each took action on their own bills, they were unable to reach consensus, and no new law was passed.
On July 23 — one day before the stay was to be lifted — Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. asked the court for more time.
On Friday, in a one-line order without explanation, the high court said no.
As a result, the Allegheny County defendant who challenged the law that led to the court’s ruling must be resentenced, said his lawyer, Bret Grote, legal director of the Abolitionist Law Center.