ABA Issues Assessment Of Missouri Death Penalty

The American Bar Association has just issued its assessment of the death penalty in Missouri.  You can find the various parts of the report here.   The assessment team was co-chaired by Professor Stephen Thaman from Saint Louis University Law and Professor Paul Litton of the University of Missouri - Columbia Law.  The report calls for reform in a number of areas, notwithstanding the fact that committee members diverged in their "views about the weight to be placed on the various ABA recommendations."  On balance, it appears that the death penalty system in Missouri has some serious issues in a several respects- which is, unfortunately, the norm rather than the exception, in death penalty states.