HB 1870 -- Death Penalty Commission

Sponsor:  Deeken

This bill places a moratorium on all executions until January 1,
2012, and establishes the Commission on the Death Penalty to
study the use of the death penalty.  The commission will consist
of 10 members, including two members of the Senate, two members
of the House of Representatives, the State Public Defender or his
or her designee, the Attorney General or his or her designee, a
criminal defense attorney, a county prosecutor, a family member
of a murder victim, and a family member of a person on death row.

The commission will make recommendations for changes to the laws
and court rules regarding death penalty cases to ensure that:

(1)  Defendants who are sentenced to death are in fact guilty of
first degree murder;

(2)  Defendants are provided adequate and experienced counsel and
adequate resources for the defense of their cases at trial and at
the appellate and post-conviction stages;

(3)  Race does not play an impermissible role in determining
which defendants are sentenced to death;

(4)  Appellate and post-conviction procedures are adequate to
correct errors and injustices occurring at the trial level,
including access to evidence for forensic testing; and

(5)  Prosecutors throughout the state seek the death penalty
using similar criteria.

The commission must issue a report of its findings to the
Governor, General Assembly, and Missouri Supreme Court by
January 1, 2011.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:11 pm