The Missouri House sent legislation to the governor providing the Missouri Public Defender Commission with more ability to control its caseload. Sen. Jack Goodman’s bill would allow the state’s Public Defender Commission to implement a maximum caseload standard. Goodman, R-Mt. ...

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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

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).

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The seemingly routine procedure of referring a bill to committee could have a sizable impact on the fate of legislation altering the state’s public defender system. Most notably, Sen. Jack Goodman’s bill codifies an administrative rule allowing the Public Defender ...

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Amid concerns that an escalating workload is hindering public defenders’ ability to represent clients, the Missouri Senate took a big step toward sending legislation altering the system to the House. Sen. Jack Goodman’s legislation features a number of components, including ...

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A pair of Republican senators argued last week they can constitutionally put restrictions on adult businesses they say produce harmful consequences on local communities. Sens. Matt Bartle, R-Lee’s Summit, and Jack Goodman, R-Mt. Vernon, both lawyers, put forward similar bills ...

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Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday reacted negatively to a legislative proposal allowing the state’s Public Defender Commission to establish a maximum case threshold. In his first news conference since he was sworn in as Missouri’s governor, Nixon was cool to ...

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