Alabama AG Statement on Death Sentence Commutation
Summary
Alabama Attorney General Marshall released a statement expressing disappointment regarding Governor Ivey's commutation of Sonny Burton's death sentence. The statement reaffirms the AG's commitment to pursuing justice for victims and ensuring violent crimes are punished.
What changed
Alabama Attorney General Marshall issued a statement on March 10, 2026, expressing his profound disappointment with Governor Ivey's decision to commute the death sentence of Sonny Burton. The AG emphasized Burton's culpability in the murder of Douglas Battle, highlighting accomplice liability and the jury's verdict, and criticized the use of "frivolous appeals" to delay justice.
This statement serves as an expression of the Attorney General's stance and does not impose new regulatory requirements. However, it signals the AG's continued commitment to advocating for victims and ensuring that violent crimes are prosecuted and punished without hesitation. Legal professionals involved in capital cases may note the AG's strong opposition to commutations in cases with clear accomplice liability.
Source document (simplified)
Attorney General Marshall Releases Statement on Gov. Ivey’s Commutation of Sonny Burton’s Death Sentence
View PDF For Immediate Release:
March 10, 2026
For press inquiries only, contact:
Amanda Priest (334) 322-5694
William Califf (334) 604-3230
“I am deeply disappointed to learn that Governor Ivey has commuted the death sentence of Sonny Burton.
While the media has done its best to paint Mr. Burton as a harmless, decrepit old man, he is a murderer. He organized an armed robbery, held a gun to the store manager’s head, and callously doled out the proceeds of the robbery once Douglas Battle, an army veteran, was dead.
Burton was a career criminal before he became a murderer, and the jury rightfully held him responsible for the death that he caused. Longstanding Alabama law recognizes accomplice liability, as has every judge that has touched this case over three decades. There has never been any doubt that Sonny Burton has Douglas Battle’s blood on his hands.
Burton does not deserve special treatment because he is old—he could have been executed a long time ago, but like many death-row inmates, he chose to drag out his case through endless frivolous appeals. I firmly believe that he should have faced the punishment imposed by a jury of his peers and upheld by numerous judges.
I do not want today’s result to cause Alabamians to lose faith in our justice system. For as long as I am Attorney General, I will not shy away from calling evil, evil and will do everything in my power to ensure that violence perpetrated against innocent Alabamians is punished mightily and without hesitation.”
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