JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A bill that one local prosecutor dubbed the “Make Murder Legal Act” has failed to advance in the GOP-led Missouri Legislature.
A Senate committee blocked the bill Thursday.
The measure would have given shooters the benefit of the doubt that they acted in self-defense.
It would have required police to find probable cause that the shooter acted unlawfully before arresting them.
Prosecutors and other law enforcement groups had warned that the change would be a significant hurdle in arresting and prosecuting violent criminals.
Backers had argued it would have strengthened self-defense laws and shielded victims from having to defend their actions in court.
