Bill > SB196

This bill establishes a detailed legal procedure for prosecuting and sentencing individuals charged with statutory rape in the first degree or sexual trafficking of a child in the first degree, with potential capital punishment. The bill mandates a two-stage trial process where the first stage determines guilt, and if the defendant is found guilty, a second stage focuses exclusively on determining the punishment. If the death penalty is not waived, the jury or trier must consider various factors in deciding the sentence, including potential mitigating circumstances such as intellectual disability. The bill allows for life imprisonment without the possibility of probation or parole as an alternative to the death penalty if the trier finds specific mitigating factors or decides against capital punishment. The legislation defines intellectual disability as a condition involving significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors, documented before the age of 18. Importantly, these new legal procedures will only apply to offenses committed on or after August 28, 2025, providing a clear timeline for implementation.

Justice

https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=496