Amnesty International wants Missouri lawmakers to ban the execution of juveniles and keep judges from imposing the death sentence when a jury deadlocks. Amnesty’s Michelle Mohr says Missouri should take a cue from Illinois,which just underwent a thorough review of how its death penalty has been carried out. Attorney General Jay Nixon disagrees. He says how the two states carry out the death penalty is fundamentally different. And, as for not allowing judges to decide in favor of death, Nixon says judges are in a good position to decide on these issues. Nixon does add, however, that any narrowing of the death penalty’s use in Missouri is up to the Legislature.
