MLM Counties News. Notices. Need-to-know Information.

Missouri Senators voted 33-1 to use $6.7 million in federal stimulus funds to plug various holes in the state's judiciary budget. Earlier this year, the House passed a bill for next fiscal year's budget that includes about $187.1 million for the state's judiciary system. That's about a $2.7 million cut from the current fiscal year. The lone senator to vote against the budget bill funding the judiciary system was Sen. Jim Lembke (pictured), R-St. Louis County. He said he voted against every budget bill that he thought "spent too much money."

Tagged with: Gary Nodler judiciary budget judiciary system Office of the State Courts Administrator

After the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District struck down an administrative rule allowing the public defender system to regulate its caseload, the leader of the system asked a House committee for a legislative fix. Such a bill has already ...

Tagged with: Doug Copeland Jack Goodman Jennifer Joyce legislature Marty Robinson Missouri Public Defender Commission Robert McCulloch Senate Bill 37

In some sense, Gov. Jay Nixon inspired the new direction for a proposal to require voters to show government-issued photo identification at the polls. Since the Missouri Supreme Court struck down a voter ID law in 2006, Republicans have been ...

Tagged with: Bill Deeken Constitution House Elections Committee Jay Nixon Missouri Supreme Court Stanley Cox voter ID

The Missouri Supreme Court considered last week whether to dismiss a Newton County man’s drunken driving conviction because the arresting officer did not provide a Miranda warning after placing him in handcuffs. In September 2006, a member of the Missouri ...

Tagged with: Laura Denvir Stith Miranda Miranda rights Missouri State Highway Patrol Missouri Supreme Court Shaun J. Mackelprang Terrell Gaw

State Rep. Bryan Stevenson might have removed the biggest obstacle in the way of legislation meant to relieve the caseload crunch for the state's public defender system: himself. Stevenson, a Webb City Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, made the somewhat unusual move of asking for Sen. Jack Goodman's legislation to be sent away from his committee. The legislation was re-directed to the House General Laws Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Tim Jones, R-Eureka (pictured left).

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson Cathy Kelly House Judiciary Committee Jack Goodman Ron Richard Tim Jones

Less than a day after it won initial approval in the Missouri House, a resolution altering Missouri's Nonpartisan Court Plan was sent to the Senate on Thursday. (pictured at left) Rep. Stanley Cox's resolution passed 85-72, three votes more than the constitutionally needed amount to send legislation to the Senate. Among other things, Cox's resolution would increase the number of judicial nominees from three to four. Watch video of Cox talking about the court plan. Click here to see how lawyers in the House voted.

Tagged with: Appellate Judicial Commission Bryan Pratt Missouri Missouri House Nonpartisan Court Plan Rachel Bringer Stanley Cox

The Missouri House acted quickly after a report became public lumping supporters of certain political candidates to militia groups. The report from the Missouri Information Analysis Center stated that members of potentially violent domestic militia groups “are usually supporters of ...

Tagged with: Department of Public Safety domestic militia militia group Missouri House political candidates political profiling

The Missouri Supreme Court rejected an attempt from a petroleum company to credit overpayment of cigarette taxes to underpayment of taxes for other transactions. MFA Petroleum Co. owns a number of convenience stores across the states that sell cigarettes. After ...

Tagged with: cigarette MFA Petroleum Missouri Department of Revenue Missouri Supreme Court taxes

Deputy Scott Boan runs a metal detector over Stephen Jones at the ground floor entrance to the Jackson County Courthouse on Monday. While Jackson County has hefty security measures, some rural counties do not, prompting some lawmakers to favor letting prosecutors carry weapons. Earlier this year, a man whom Dent County Prosecutor Jessica Sparks had prosecuted on meth-related charges came into her courthouse office. Although Sparks said the confrontation didn't result in any injuries, she said she would have been in serious danger if a weapon was produced. Click here to continue reading.

Tagged with: carry conceal courthouse gun prosecutors security

Arguments began on Friday challenging ballot summary language for a proposal aimed at banning funding for embryonic stem cell research. Earlier this year, a St. Louis group called Missouri Roundtable for Life filed a constitutional amendment aimed at banning funding ...

Alarm bells are sounding within the state court system over an early draft of the state budget. The Missouri House gave first-round approval on Wednesday to 13 bills making up the state’s budget, with a final vote expected late Thursday. ...

Tagged with: budget John Burnett Missouri Supreme Court public defender State Court Administrator