| |
 |
| Death
Penalty: |
YES |
| Prohibit
Execution of the Mentally Retarded: |
NO. However, this state must draft legislation with clear and unambiguous language prohibiting executions of persons with an IQ of less than 70 in order to reflect the recent United States Supreme Court decision Atkins v. Virginia, which held that such executions are unconstitutional. |
| Life
Without Parole: |
YES |
| Minimum
Age to Eligible for the Death Penalty: |
16 |
| Number
on Death Row: |
70 |
| Executions
Since 1976: |
59 |
| Race
of Defendants: |
40 white (57%), 30 black (43%) |
| Racial
Make-up of State Population: |
84% white, 11% black, 2% Hispanic, 1% Asian |
| Innocents
Exonerated: |
YES (2). Clarence Dexter, Jr. was released in 1999 after serving 8 years on death row. Eric Clemmons was released in 2000 after serving 13 years on death row. |
| Columbia
University Study Rate of Error in Capital Cases: |
32% |
| Murder
Rate: |
7.3 per 100,000 (ranked 17th out of 51) |
| Governor: |
Bob Holden, (Democrat),
|
| Presidential
Vote: |
50% Bush, 47% Gore, 2% Nader |
| Public
Opinion on the Death Penalty: |
To follow. |
| Organizations
Endorsing a Moratorium: |
Alliance for Democracy, St. Louis Chapter (St. Louis)
Almost Home (St. Louis)
Americans for Democratic Action, Missouri Chapter (St. Louis)
Anti-Racist Action–Kirksville (Kirksville)
Benedictine Monastery of Perpetual Adoration (St. Louis)
Cathedral Basilica Parish (St. Louis)
Central Reform Congregation (St. Louis)
Cordis House (Republic)
Diocese of Jefferson City, Social Concerns Office (Jefferson City)
Discipleship Christian Life Community (St. Louis)
Eastern Missouri Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (St. Louis)
The Faith Community of Catholic Worker House
Franciscan Sisters of Mary, Leadership Team (St. Louis)
Good Shepherd Parish (St. Louis)
Holy Innocents Parish (St. Louis)
Immaculate Conception Parish (Dardenne)
Interfaith Partnership of Metropolitan St. Louis (St. Louis)
J.F.Kennedy Catholic High School Community (Manchester)
Kirksville Christians in Action (Kirksville)
Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation (Columbia)
Mid-Missouri Peaceworkers (Columbia)
Missouri Association for Social Welfare (Jefferson City)
Missouri Catholic Conference, Public Policy Committee (Jefferson City)
Missouri Prisoners Labor Union
Missourians Against State Killing (St. Louis)
Our Lady of Providence Parish (St. Louis)
Pastors for Peace, Kansas City (Kansas City)
Pax Christi St. Louis (St. Louis)
Queen of All Saints Parish (St. Louis)
Religious Society of Friends, St. Louis Monthly Meeting (St. Louis)
School Sisters of Notre Dame, Provincial Council (St. Louis)
Sisters of Divine Providence, Bridgeton (Bridgeton)
Sisters of Divine Providence, St. Louis (St. Louis)
Sisters of St. Francis, Savannah (Savannah)
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Congregational Leadership Team (St. Louis)
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province (St. Louis)
Sisters of the Precious Blood of O'Fallon, MO (O'Fallon)
Society of the Sacred Heart (St. Louis)
St. Louis Ethical Society, Ethical Action Committee (St. Louis)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis)
United Methodist Church, Missouri East Annual Conference
United Methodist Church, Missouri West Annual Conference
Ursulines of the Roman Union, Central Province, Provincial Council (Crystal City)
Western Missouri Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (Kansas City)
Woman's Place (St. Louis)
|
| Organizations
Working FOR a Moratorium: |
ACLU of Eastern Missouri
4557 Laclede Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63108
Denise Lieberman-contact
314-361-2111-(day)
www.aclu-em.org
[email protected]
ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri
3601 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64111
Dick Kurtenbach-contact
816-756-3113--(day)
[email protected]
www.aclukswmo.org/
Amnesty International State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
Kelly Korenak-contact
314-645-2860-(phone)
[email protected]
Amnesty International State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
Brad Sheppard-contact
573-254-3993-(eve)
[email protected]
Criminal Justice Ministry*
1408 South 10th Street
St. Louis, MO 63104
Carleen Reck-contact
314-241-8062--(day)
314-241-1307--(fax)
[email protected]
www.welcome.TO/CJMSTLOUIS
Eastern Missouri Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty*
1408 South 10th Street
St. Louis, MO 63104
Margaret Phillips-contact
314-516-6864--(day)
314-725-7527-(eve)
[email protected]
Bill Colbert-contact
314-361-5668-(day)
[email protected]
Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation*
P.O. Box 268
Columbia, MO 65205
Jeff Stack-contact
573-449-4585-(day)
jstack@coinorg
http://members.tripod.com/midmo_for
Missouri Coalition Against the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 1022
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Rita Linhardt-contact
573-635-7239-(day)
573-635-7431-(fax)
Public Interest Litigation Clinic*
305 E. 63rd St.
Kansas City, MO 64113
Sean O'Brien/Kent Gipson-contacts
816-363-2795-(day)
816-363-2799-(fax)
[email protected]
Western Missouri Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 45302
Kansas City, MO 64171
816-756-0911-(office)
816-931-1101-(fax)
Kathleen Kennedy-contact
[email protected]
www.qni.com/~billw/death/wmcadp.html
Rep. Chris Liese (D) |
| Organizations
Working AGAINST a Moratorium: |
State Department of Corrections' Victims Group
Sheriffs |
| Clemency: |
The Governor is required by statute to get a non-binding recommendation from the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole before granting or denying clemency in death penalty cases. |
| Who
Decides Sentence: |
Jury, but a judge decides if the jury is deadlocked. |
| Method
of Execution: |
Missouri authorizes the use of both lethal injection and lethal gas. It is unclear who decides the method (Deno, Deborah W., "Getting to Death: Are Executions Constitutional?", Iowa Law Review, 1997). |
