HB2259

Missouri HB2259 modifies trial procedures for first-degree murder, including jury instructions and resentencing.

Missouri HB2259 modifies trial procedures for first-degree murder by changing how juries are instructed and how resentencing is handled. The bill specifies that if a jury cannot unanimously agree on the death penalty, the judge must sentence the defendant to life imprisonment without parole. It also mandates that any defendant sentenced before August 28, 2026, by a judge after a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision must be resentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The bill applies to offenses committed on or after August 28, 2001.