Neb. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 28
Nebraska Revised Statutes

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (2026)

Death penalty imposition; restriction on person under eighteen years; restriction on person with intellectual disability; sentencing procedure

✓ current as of July 2026
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(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not be imposed upon any person who was under the age of eighteen years at the time of the commission of the crime.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not be imposed upon any person with an intellectual disability.

(3) As used in subsection (2) of this section, intellectual disability means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior. An intelligence quotient of seventy or below on a reliably administered intelligence quotient test shall be presumptive evidence of intellectual disability.

(4) If (a) a jury renders a verdict finding the existence of one or more aggravating circumstances as provided in section 29-2520 or (b)(i) the information contains a notice of aggravation as provided in section 29-1603 and (ii) the defendant waives his or her right to a jury determination of the alleged aggravating circumstances, the court shall hold a hearing prior to any sentencing determination proceeding as provided in section 29-2521 upon a verified motion of the defense requesting a ruling that the penalty of death be precluded under subsection (2) of this section. If the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the defendant is a person with an intellectual disability, the death sentence shall not be imposed. A ruling by the court that the evidence of diminished intelligence introduced by the defendant does not preclude the death penalty under subsection (2) of this section shall not restrict the defendant's opportunity to introduce such evidence at the sentencing determination proceeding as provided in section 29-2521 or to argue that such evidence should be given mitigating significance.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 43 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1988–2023 · leading case: State v. Lotter, 976 N.W.2d 721 (Neb. 2022).
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State v. Lotter, 976 N.W.2d 721 (Neb. 2022). · cites it 44× “Nebraska appel- late courts have not construed Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (3) (Cum. Supp.”
State v. Vela, 721 N.W.2d 631 (Neb. 2006). · cites it 18× “Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (Cum. Supp. 2004) provides, in relevant part: (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not be imposed upon any person with mental retardation.”
Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304 (2002). · cites it 4× “[14] Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 . [15] S. D. Codified Laws § 23A-27A-26.”
State v. Lotter, 586 N.W.2d 591 (Neb. 1998). · cites it 10× “Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-105.01 (Reissue 1995).”
Bowling v. Commonwealth, 163 S.W.3d 361 (Ky. 2005). · cites it 6× “Law, § 2-202(b)(1)(i); Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-105.01(3) (IQ of 70 or below presumptive evidence of mental retardation); N.”
Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005). · cites it 2× “§ 45-5-102 (2003) Nebraska Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (1) (Supp. 2004) New Jersey N.”
State v. Jenkins, 303 Neb. 676 (Neb. 2019). · cites it 2× “See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (2) (Cum. Supp.”
Van Tran v. State, 66 S.W.3d 790 (Tenn. 2001). · cites it 4× “267 (Vernon's); Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-105.01; N.M.Rev.Stat. § 31-20A-2.”
State v. Vela, 777 N.W.2d 266 (Neb. 2010). · cites it 4× “*304 (c) Presumption of Mental Retardation Section 28-105.01(3) provides in part: "An intelligence quotient of seventy or below on a reliably administered intelligence quotient test shall be presumptive evidence of mental retardation.”
In Re Hawthorne, 105 P.3d 552 (Cal. 2005). · cites it 4× “Moreover, statutes referencing a numerical IQ generally provide that a defendant is presumptively mentally retarded at or below that level, rather than — as respondent impliedly argues — that a defendant is presumptively not mentally retarded above it.”
Commonwealth v. Sanchez, 36 A.3d 24 (Pa. 2011). · cites it 2× “2004); Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-105.01 (1998); Nev.Rev.”
Warren Lee Hill, Jr. v. Carl Humphrey, 662 F.3d 1335 (11th Cir. 2011). · cites it 2× “”); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (3) (“An intelligence quotient of seventy or below on a reliably administered intelligence quotient test shall be presumptive evidence of mental retardation.”
Show all 43 citing cases →
— Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01(2) — 2 cases
State v. Lotter, 976 N.W.2d 721 (Neb. 2022). “Nebraska appel- late courts have not construed Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (3) (Cum. Supp.”
State v. Vela, 721 N.W.2d 631 (Neb. 2006). “Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (Cum. Supp. 2004) provides, in relevant part: (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not be imposed upon any person with mental retardation.”
— Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01(3) — 13 cases
State v. Lotter, 976 N.W.2d 721 (Neb. 2022). “Nebraska appel- late courts have not construed Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (3) (Cum. Supp.”
State v. Vela, 777 N.W.2d 266 (Neb. 2010). “*304 (c) Presumption of Mental Retardation Section 28-105.01(3) provides in part: "An intelligence quotient of seventy or below on a reliably administered intelligence quotient test shall be presumptive evidence of mental retardation.”
Bowling v. Commonwealth, 163 S.W.3d 361 (Ky. 2005). “Law, § 2-202(b)(1)(i); Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-105.01(3) (IQ of 70 or below presumptive evidence of mental retardation); N.”
Warren Lee Hill, Jr. v. Carl Humphrey, 662 F.3d 1335 (11th Cir. 2011). “”); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (3) (“An intelligence quotient of seventy or below on a reliably administered intelligence quotient test shall be presumptive evidence of mental retardation.”
Ex Parte Perkins, 851 So. 2d 453 (Ala. 2002).
— Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01(4) — 4 cases
State v. Vela, 721 N.W.2d 631 (Neb. 2006). “Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (Cum. Supp. 2004) provides, in relevant part: (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not be imposed upon any person with mental retardation.”
Bowling v. Commonwealth, 163 S.W.3d 361 (Ky. 2005). “Law, § 2-202(b)(1)(i); Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-105.01(3) (IQ of 70 or below presumptive evidence of mental retardation); N.”
State v. Lotter, 976 N.W.2d 721 (Neb. 2022). “Nebraska appel- late courts have not construed Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (3) (Cum. Supp.”
State v. Victor, 612 N.W.2d 513 (Neb. 2000).
— Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01(4)(a) — 1 case
State v. Lotter, 976 N.W.2d 721 (Neb. 2022). “Nebraska appel- late courts have not construed Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (3) (Cum. Supp.”
— Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01(5) — 1 case
State v. Lotter, 976 N.W.2d 721 (Neb. 2022). “Nebraska appel- late courts have not construed Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-105.01 (3) (Cum. Supp.”
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