Publication Date

1986

Document Type

Article

Abstract

In 1977, the Missouri legislature adopted a comprehensive statutory scheme defining capital murder and prescribing procedures to be utilized in imposing the death penalty in this state. After making minor revisions in the scheme, the legislature substantially revamped the homicide statutes in 1983. Included in this revision were changes in the definition of the substantive offense and revisions in the grounds and procedures for imposition of the death penalty. These legislative revisions and judicial interpretations have substantially broadened the class of defendants to whom the death penalty is applicable and substantially decreased the likelihood of successful appeal from a sentence of death. This Article will examine these developments in the law of "capital murder."

Publication Title

University of Missouri Kansas City Law Review

Volume

54

Issue

4

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