FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.452
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEMACKEY.
0362H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,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)Ifthetrierconcludesthatthereisevidenceinmitigationofpunishment,including
35butnotlimitedtoevidencesupportingthestatutorymitigatingcircumstanceslistedin
36subsection3ofsection565.032,whichissufficienttooutweightheevidenceinaggravation
37ofpunishmentfoundbythetrier;or
38 (4)Ifthetrierdecidesunderallofthecircumstancesnottoassessanddeclarethe
39punishmentatdeath.Ifthetrierisajuryitshallbesoinstructed.
40
41Ifthetrierassessesanddeclaresthepunishmentatdeathitshall,initsfindingsorverdict,set
42outinwritingtheaggravatingcircumstanceorcircumstanceslistedinsubsection2ofsection
43565.032whichitfoundbeyondareasonabledoubt.Ifthetrierisajuryitshallbeinstructed
44beforethecaseissubmittedthatifitisunabletodecideoragreeuponthepunishmentthe
45courtshallassessanddeclarethepunishmentatlifeimprisonmentwithouteligibilityfor
46probation,parole,orreleaseexceptbyactofthegovernor[ordeath]. Thecourtshallfollow
47thesameprocedureassetoutinthissectionwheneveritisrequiredtodeterminepunishment
48formurderinthefirstdegree.
49 5.Uponwrittenagreementofthepartiesandwithleaveofthecourt,theissueofthe
50defendant'sintellectualdisabilitymaybetakenupbythecourtanddecidedpriortotrial
51withoutprejudicingthedefendant'srighttohavetheissuesubmittedtothetrieroffactas
52providedinsubsection4ofthissection.
HB452 2 53 6.Asusedinthissection,theterms"intellectualdisability"or"intellectually
54disabled"refertoaconditioninvolvingsubstantiallimitationsingeneralfunctioning
55characterizedbysignificantlysubaverageintellectualfunctioningwithcontinualextensive
56relateddeficitsandlimitationsintwoormoreadaptivebehaviorssuchascommunication,
57self-care,homeliving,socialskills,communityuse,self-direction,healthandsafety,
58functionalacademics,leisureandwork,whichconditionsaremanifestedanddocumented
59beforeeighteenyearsofage.
60 7.Theprovisionsofthissectionshallonlygovernoffensescommittedonorafter
61August28,2001.
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