GOVERNOR PARSON APPOINTS BRITTNEY R. SMITH AS ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 JEFFERSON CITY — Today, Governor Mike Parson appointed Brittney R. Smith as Associate Circuit Judge for the 11th Judicial Circuit. She will fill an Associate Circuit Judge … [Read more...] about GOVERNOR PARSON APPOINTS BRITTNEY R. SMITH AS ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGE FOR THE 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

Case Law Update: September 6 - September 12 Criminal Circuit Clerk Serves Notice in Action for Expungement Statute governing expungement of certain records requires the circuit clerk, not plaintiff, to give notice to specified persons. That requirement constitutes a ministerial duty that … [Read more...] about Case Law Update 9/6 to 9/12

Aug. 23 - Aug. 29 Criminal Record Clarifies Sentence Appellant had a tattoo and wore a garment colored differently from other persons in photo line-up, but a distinctive appearance does not make the lineup subjective, and photos eliminated appellant’s distinctive features. Firearm not used in the … [Read more...] about Case Law Update August 23 – August 29

AUGUST 27, 2019 JEFFERSON CITY — Governor Parson appointed Renée Hardin-Tammons as Circuit Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Thea A. Sherry. Hardin-Tammons, of Olivette, is an Associate Circuit Judge for the St. Louis County … [Read more...] about Governor Parson Appoints Renée Hardin-Tammons as Circuit Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit

AUGUST 27, 2019 JEFFERSON CITY — Today, Governor Parson appointed Matthew Hearne as Associate Circuit Judge for the 21stJudicial Circuit. He will fill the vacancy created by the appointment of the Honorable Richard M. Stewart to Circuit Judge. Hearne, of Saint Louis, is a Partner at Hearne & … [Read more...] about Governor Parson Appoints Matthew H. Hearne as Associate Circuit Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit

DWI No Miranda Warning Due Before Admitting to A Few Drinks  Custodial interrogation of defendant occurs under inherently coercive circumstances, which did not include routine questioning of restrained appellant, because restraint was due to paramedics strapping defendant to a backboard.  State … [Read more...] about Case Law Update Aug. 16 – Aug. 22

Criminal Dog Provided Probable Cause to Search Automobile No warrant is necessary to search an automobile in which there is probable cause to believe that contraband is present. A drug-sniffing dog, or confidential informant with a history of reliability, corroboration, or other indicia of … [Read more...] about Case Law Update – August 2 to August 8

Criminal Exploitation Conviction Affirmed“[A]n appellate court does not engage in a weight-of-the-evidence review in a criminal case [;]” only a review of whether the evidence was sufficient to convince a reasonable juror of defendant’s guilt. A finding of guilty had support in the testimony of … [Read more...] about July 26 – Aug. 1 Case Law Update

Criminal Sentence Spoken and Sentence Written No DifferentSentence as spoken prevails over sentence as written, but only where the difference is material, which depends on the whole record.  When the sentence pronounced is unambiguous, an earlier colloquy misnumbering one count does not … [Read more...] about July 12 – July 18 Law Update

28 June 2019 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – By order of the Court, Supreme Court of Missouri Judge George W. Draper will become Missouri’s next chief justice July 1. His term as chief justice will run through June 30, 2021. He succeeds Judge Zel M. Fischer, who remains on the Court. Draper, a St. Louis … [Read more...] about George W. Draper III to become Missouri’s next Chief Justice