Missouri judges who hear murder cases will lose some of their power to sentence someone to death under a proposal approved by the Senate and sent to the House. It’s a measure that says judges can only sentence people to death under certain circumstances when a jury deadlocks. Backers say the bill will keep judges from ordering executions for people – even when a jury deadlocks 11-1 in favor of life. Supporters of the new system say there have been cases in which that has happened in Missouri.
