(a) Whenever any person is sentenced to death, the clerk of the court in which the sentence is pronounced shall, within 10 days after sentence has been pronounced, issue a warrant under the seal of the court for the execution of the sentence of death, which warrant shall recite the fact of conviction, setting forth specifically the offense, the judgment of the court and the time fixed for his execution, and which shall be directed to the warden of the William C. Holman unit of the prison system at Atmore, commanding him to proceed, at the time and place named in the sentence, to carry the same into execution, as provided in Section 15-18-82, and the clerk shall deliver such warrant to the sheriff of the county in which such judgment of conviction was had, to be by him delivered to the said warden, together with the condemned person as provided in subsection (b) of this section; provided, however, that in case of appeal to the Supreme Court of Alabama by the defendant and the suspension of execution of sentence by the trial court, said condemned person shall remain in the county jail of the county in which the conviction was had unless the court in which the case is tried orders otherwise, in which case, upon the affirmation of the appeal by the Supreme Court, said warrant for the execution of the death sentence, under seal of the court, together with the person of the condemned shall be delivered within 10 days after such affirmation to the warden of Holman prison as provided above.

(b) Immediately upon the receipt of such warrant, the sheriff shall transport such condemned person to the William C. Holman unit of the prison system at Atmore, shall there deliver him and the warrant aforesaid into the hands of the warden and shall take from the warden his receipt for such person and such warrant, which receipt the sheriff shall return to the office of the clerk of the court where the judgment of death was rendered. For his services, the sheriff shall be entitled to the same compensation as now provided by law to sheriffs for removing or conveying prisoners.