FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.1134
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEDOLL.
1627H.01I JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Torepealsection565.030,RSMo,andtoenactinlieuthereofonenewsectionrelatingtotrial
proceduresformurderinthefirstdegree.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Section565.030,RSMo,isrepealedandonenewsectionenactedinlieu
2thereof,tobeknownassection565.030,toreadasfollows:
565.030.1.Wheremurderinthefirstdegreeischargedbutnotsubmittedorwhere
2thestatewaivesthedeathpenalty,thesubmissiontothetrierandallsubsequentproceedings
3inthecaseshallproceedasinallothercriminalcases.
4 2.Wheremurderinthefirstdegreeissubmittedtothetrierwithoutawaiverofthe
5deathpenalty,thetrialshallproceedintwostagesbeforethesametrier.Atthefirststagethe
6triershalldecideonlywhetherthedefendantisguiltyornotguiltyofanysubmittedoffense.
7Theissueofpunishmentshallnotbesubmittedtothetrieratthefirststage.Ifanoffenseis
8chargedotherthanmurderinthefirstdegreeinacounttogetherwithacountofmurderinthe
9firstdegree,thetrialjudgeshallassesspunishmentonanysuchoffenseaccordingtolaw,after
10thedefendantisfoundguiltyofsuchoffenseandafterhefindsthedefendanttobeaprior
11offenderpursuanttochapter558.
12 3.Ifmurderinthefirstdegreeissubmittedandthedeathpenaltywasnotwaivedbut
13thetrierfindsthedefendantguiltyofalesserhomicide,asecondstageofthetrialshall
14proceedasinallothercriminalcases.Theattorneysmaythenargueasinothercriminalcases
15theissueofpunishment,afterwhichthetriershallassessanddeclarethepunishmentasinall
16othercriminalcases.
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 4.Ifthetrieratthefirststageofatrialwherethedeathpenaltywasnotwaivedfinds
18thedefendantguiltyofmurderinthefirstdegree,asecondstageofthetrialshallproceedat
19whichtheonlyissueshallbethepunishmenttobeassessedanddeclared.Evidencein
20aggravationandmitigationofpunishment,includingbutnotlimitedtoevidencesupporting
21anyoftheaggravatingormitigatingcircumstanceslistedinsubsection2or3ofsection
22565.032,maybepresentedsubjecttotherulesofevidenceatcriminaltrials.Suchevidence
23mayinclude,withinthediscretionofthecourt,evidenceconcerningthemurdervictimand
24theimpactoftheoffenseuponthefamilyofthevictimandothers.Rebuttalandsurrebuttal
25evidencemaybepresented.Thestateshallbethefirsttoproceed.Ifthetrierisajuryitshall
26beinstructedonthelaw.Theattorneysmaythenarguetheissueofpunishmenttothejury,
27andthestateshallhavetherighttoopenandclosetheargument.Thetriershallassessand
28declarethepunishmentatlifeimprisonmentwithouteligibilityforprobation,parole,or
29releaseexceptbyactofthegovernor:
30 (1)Ifthetrierfindsbyapreponderanceoftheevidencethatthedefendantis
31intellectuallydisabled;or
32 (2)Ifthetrierdoesnotfindbeyondareasonabledoubtatleastoneofthestatutory
33aggravatingcircumstancessetoutinsubsection2ofsection565.032;or
34 (3)Ifthetrier[concludesthatthereisevidenceinmitigationofpunishment,including
35butnotlimitedtoevidencesupportingthestatutorymitigatingcircumstanceslistedin
36subsection3ofsection565.032,whichissufficienttooutweightheevidenceinaggravation
37ofpunishmentfoundbythetrier] doesnotdeterminebyunanimousvotethatthe
38aggravatingcircumstanceorcircumstancespreviouslyfoundoutweighthemitigating
39circumstanceorcircumstancesincluding,butnotlimitedto,thosemitigating
40circumstancessetoutinsubsection3ofsection565.032; or
41 (4)Ifthetrierdecidesunderallofthecircumstancesnottoassessanddeclarethe
42punishmentatdeath.Ifthetrierisajuryitshallbesoinstructed.
43
44Ifthetrierassessesanddeclaresthepunishmentatdeathitshall,initsfindingsorverdict,set
45outinwritingtheaggravatingcircumstanceorcircumstanceslistedinsubsection2ofsection
46565.032whichitfoundbeyondareasonabledoubt.Ifthetrierisajuryitshallbeinstructed
47beforethecaseissubmittedthatifitisunabletodecideoragreeuponthepunishmentthe
48courtshallassessanddeclarethepunishmentatlifeimprisonmentwithouteligibilityfor
49probation,parole,orreleaseexceptbyactofthegovernor[ordeath.Thecourtshallfollow
50thesameprocedureassetoutinthissectionwheneveritisrequiredtodeterminepunishment
51formurderinthefirstdegree]. Anydefendantwhosesentencewasassessedpriorto
52August28,2025,byajudgeafterajurywasunabletoreachaunanimousdecisionshall,
53onmotioninthecourtwheretheoriginalsentencewasassessedorinthecircuitcourtof
HB1134 2 54thecountywherethedefendantiscurrentlyincarcerated,beresentencedtolife
55imprisonmentwithouteligibilityforprobation,parole,orreleaseexceptbyactofthe
56governor.
57 5.Uponwrittenagreementofthepartiesandwithleaveofthecourt,theissueofthe
58defendant'sintellectualdisabilitymaybetakenupbythecourtanddecidedpriortotrial
59withoutprejudicingthedefendant'srighttohavetheissuesubmittedtothetrieroffactas
60providedinsubsection4ofthissection.
61 6.Asusedinthissection,theterms"intellectualdisability"or"intellectually
62disabled"refertoaconditioninvolvingsubstantiallimitationsingeneralfunctioning
63characterizedbysignificantlysubaverageintellectualfunctioningwithcontinualextensive
64relateddeficitsandlimitationsintwoormoreadaptivebehaviorssuchascommunication,
65self-care,homeliving,socialskills,communityuse,self-direction,healthandsafety,
66functionalacademics,leisureandwork,whichconditionsaremanifestedanddocumented
67beforeeighteenyearsofage.
68 7.Theprovisionsofthissectionshallonlygovernoffensescommittedonorafter
69August28,2001.
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