Talk:Law and Government of Missouri
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I am unsure why this page exists, and given that it exists, why it contains the information that it does. No other state, nation, or city seems to have a "Law and Government" page, so why does Missouri earn one? Overall, the page seems well designed, except for the section on state statutes, which calls attention to two controvesial issues, capital punishment and sodomy laws without clearly, accurately, and fairly describing all the major points of view. While I'd like to see similar pages for all states, nations, and cities, I would prefer to see this section excised. To that end, I am going to move that one section to this page, but I won't protest its return if and when it is expanded or justified.
[edit] State Statutes
The complete list of state statutes may be found on the Missouri web site http://www.state.mo.us. What follows is a selection of a very small set.
[edit] Capital Punishment
Capital punishment is permitted in Missouri by its constitution. The constitution mandates that all death sentences must be reviewed by the state's supreme court and it gives the defendant the right of a direct appeal to supreme court for any conviction whose punishment is the death sentence. The constitution allows for either lethal injection or gas (Sec 546.720). Before 1937, Missouri hanged those that received a death sentence. Prior to 1965, executions were performed using lethal gas, but since then, Missouri uses lethal injection. The minimum age for receiving the death penalty is 16. Since 1930, the following executions have been performed:
- hanging: 6? until 1937
- gas: 39 until 1966
- injection: 60
In 2002, Missouri had 6 executions, placing it 4th in the nation after Texas (33), Indiana (9), and Oklahoma (7). Considering the number of executions performed since 1976, Missouri with 61 executions follows only Texas (336), Virginia (87) and Oklahoma.
As of April 1, 2004, there were 58 inmates in Missouri death row.
[edit] Sodomy
Until 2004, Missouri standed with 12 other states in the United States for a total of 13 states making sodomy illegal. Consensual acts that were allowed for married couples were prohibited by law for same sex partners. Missouri's statute 566.090 prohibited sexual intercourse between those of the same sex as a class A misdemeanor.
