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Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri Senate Bill 1186 eliminates judicial sentencing of death when juries deadlock in first-degree murder trials
Last action · January 27, 2026: Second Read and Referred S General Laws CommitteeSponsor: Mary Elizabeth Coleman
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate Bill 1186 removes the provision allowing a judge to impose the death penalty when a jury is unable to agree on punishment in a first-degree murder trial. Under the bill, a deadlocked jury will result in a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole. The measure applies to offenses committed on or after August 28, 2001.
Changes how sentencing is finalized in first-degree murder cases where juries cannot reach a unanimous decision, shifting sole authority for imposing the death penalty away from judges in deadlock scenarios.
- Mary Elizabeth Coleman is a Republican member of the Missouri Senate representing District 22. context
- Under prior Missouri law, if a sentencing jury deadlocked in a first-degree murder case, the trial judge held the option to sentence the defendant to death. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
defendants charged with murder in the first degree
Defendants face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole rather than potential judicial imposition of the death penalty if their jury deadlocks.
judges
Judges lose the statutory authority to impose a death sentence when a sentencing jury fails to reach an agreement.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a jury cannot agree on a sentence in a first-degree murder trial under this bill?
Can a judge still independently choose to impose the death penalty if the jury deadlocks?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
3 actions- Jan 27, 2026SenateFloorSecond Read and Referred S General Laws Committee
- Jan 7, 2026SenateIntroducedS First Read
- Dec 1, 2025SenatePrefiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. The text on record is the 4688S.01I - Introduced version. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Repeated Legislative Filing Pattern
The official summary notes that this act is identical to bills filed across numerous prior legislative sessions dating back to 2018.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.senate.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy85Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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