Rhode Island does not have the death penalty. First-degree murder under RIGL § 11-23-1 is punishable by life imprisonment. In certain aggravated cases - such as killings involving torture, the murder of a law enforcement officer, or murder committed during certain felonies - the court may impose life without the possibility of parole. The sentencing process for first-degree murder is its own mini-proceeding, with victim impact evidence, mitigation evidence, and contested factual issues decided by the court. An experienced Rhode Island homicide lawyer treats sentencing with the same intensity as trial, because for a defendant convicted of murder, a sentence of life with parole eligibility versus life without parole is the difference between hope and none.