MO SB786

State auditor shall audit costs of administering the death penalty for all homicide cases filed on or after January 1, 1977, where a death sentence was sought and compare them to an equal number of first-degree murder cases where death was not sought using random sampling with geographic representation across the state

Audit shall examine direct and indirect costs borne by county and state governments including attorney general office expenses, department of corrections housing and execution costs, county prosecution expenses, Missouri state public defender system costs, and court staff expenses at state and federal levels

Costs to be analyzed include staff salaries, benefits, operating expenses, expert witness fees, additional investigations, contracts for assistance, and expenses related to aggravating and mitigating circumstances presentations in sentencing proceedings

Audit results must be reported to the governor, members of the general assembly, and the Missouri Supreme Court by December 31, 2013