- (1) The general assembly hereby declares that the purpose of this part 2 is to establish an expedited system of unitary review of class 1 felony cases in which a death sentence is imposed.
(2) The general assembly finds that enactment of this part 2 will accomplish the following goals:
- (a) Ensuring compliance with the requirements of the federal Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, 28 U.S.C. sec. 2261 et seq.;
- (b) Improving the accuracy, completeness, and justice of review proceedings by requiring that postconviction review commence immediately after the imposition of a sentence of death;
- (c) Allowing for the full and fair examination of all legally cognizable postconviction and appellate issues by the trial court and the Colorado supreme court; and
- (d) Eliminating, to the fullest extent possible, unreasonable and unjust delays in the resolution of postconviction issues by combining and reducing the number of proceedings in class 1 felony cases.
Source: L. 97: Entire part added, p. 1573, § 1, effective June 4.