MO HB700

Creates a 10-member Commission on the Death Penalty within the Office of Administration, consisting of legislators from both parties, prosecutors, defense lawyers, the state public defender, attorney general, and family members of murder victims and death row inmates, with equal representation of death penalty supporters and opponents

Requires the commission to conduct comprehensive studies of all death penalty cases in Missouri since January 1, 1977, analyzing factors including defendant and victim demographics, attorney experience, evidence quality, costs, and potential racial bias in sentencing decisions

Directs the commission to hold public hearings statewide, study alternatives to capital punishment, and report findings and recommendations to the governor, legislature, and Missouri Supreme Court by January 1, 2014

Establishes a moratorium on all executions from the bill's effective date through January 1, 2014, while allowing ongoing capital case proceedings and post-conviction relief motions to continue without execution dates being set

Commission must recommend statutory and court rule amendments to ensure death sentence defendants are guilty of first-degree murder, receive adequate legal representation, are free from racial bias in sentencing, and have fair appellate procedures