Missouri

Cops charge people for coughing on grocery store shelves, police officers during pandemic

People accused of intentionally coughing on grocery store shelves and police officers are facing criminal charges, as is one man accused of licking grocery containers.

Apr 9, 2020 9:34 AM CDT

Federal judge refuses to OK consent decree limiting caseloads for Missouri public defenders

A federal judge in Missouri has refused to approve a consent decree that would have limited state public defenders to no more than 173.3 hours worth of cases each month, a standard that is based on a 40-hour workweek.

Jan 30, 2020 2:30 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Judge and civil rights lawyer dies at 93; lawyer reminds court of Super Bowl continuance promise

Nathaniel Jones, civil rights lawyer and appeals judge, dies at 93 Former civil rights lawyer and federal appeals judge Nathaniel Jones died Sunday at age 93. Jones was on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Cincinnati and was former general counsel for the NAACP. (The Cincinnati Enquirer, Blank…

Jan 27, 2020 4:20 PM CST

BigLaw firm sues Missouri for alleged failure to pay full incentives for jobs it created

Littler Mendelson has filed a lawsuit claiming the state of Missouri failed to pay promised incentives for the jobs the law firm created when it located its new global services center in Kansas City in 2015.

Jan 17, 2020 9:46 AM CST

Top St. Louis prosecutor files suit alleging racially motivated conspiracy to obstruct her equal-justice efforts

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner filed a federal lawsuit Monday alleging the city and the police union are engaged in a racially motivated conspiracy to deny civil rights by obstructing her efforts to ensure equal justice under the law.

Jan 14, 2020 3:03 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: ‘Not qualified’ judicial nominee confirmed; white nationalist group awarded attorney fees

Judicial nominee rated ‘not qualified’ wins confirmation Judicial nominee Sarah Pitlyk was confirmed Wednesday to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri despite a “not qualified” rating by the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. The ABA says its rating was based on a lack of…

Dec 5, 2019 4:56 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: FBI probes slaying of US lawyer overseas; liberal group’s SCOTUS short list released

FBI to aid probe into slaying of US lawyer in Micronesia The FBI is aiding the investigation into the Monday shooting death of U.S. lawyer Rachelle Bergeron, who was acting attorney general of Yap State in the Pacific nation of Micronesia. A friend, Amos Collins, said he doesn’t know who…

Oct 16, 2019 4:11 PM CDT

Lawyer ordered to pay $775K to former law firm for failing to return electronic files

A St. Louis lawyer was held in contempt, jailed for two days and ordered to pay more than $775,000 to her law firm for expenses incurred in its bid to gain return of electronic files that she was accused of taking before her resignation.

Sep 26, 2019 3:32 PM CDT

2 former prosecutors suspended for failing to report suspect’s beating

Two former prosecutors with the St. Louis circuit attorney’s office have been suspended from law practice for failing to immediately report a detective’s beating of a suspect. The Missouri Supreme Court indefinitely suspended Ambry Nichole Schuessler and Katherine Anne Dierdorf on Tuesday. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has coverage, while the…

Aug 15, 2019 3:06 PM CDT

Handcuffing of second grader didn’t violate his constitutional rights, 8th Circuit says

A 7-year-old elementary school student who was handcuffed by a police officer for 20 minutes can’t sue because there was no violation of his constitutional rights, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Aug 5, 2019 11:31 AM CDT

Appeals court blocks lawyer’s contempt arrest for failing to return law firm files

A Missouri appeals court has temporarily blocked the arrest of a St. Louis lawyer who was found in contempt of court in a records dispute with her former law firm and ordered to spend two days in jail. The appeals court order acted on Monday in the contempt case against…

Jul 17, 2019 3:00 PM CDT

Mindfulness training helped 1Ls reduce stress and improve well-being, study finds

First-year law students at the University of Missouri who volunteered for mindfulness training saw improvements in stress, well-being and mindful awareness, according to a study chronicled in a law review article. There was no statistically significant difference in grades between the mindfulness volunteers and a control group, however, according to…

Jun 19, 2019 1:47 PM CDT

Judge blocks closing of state’s only abortion clinic with TRO

A St. Louis judge has issued a temporary restraining order that blocks the closing of Missouri’s only remaining abortion clinic. Judge Michael Stelzer granted the request for the TRO in an order Friday, report the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Washington Post, ABC News and CNN. The TRO remains in effect…

May 31, 2019 3:52 PM CDT

Accompanied by armed deputies, judge removes circuit clerk from office

A circuit clerk in Lincoln County, Missouri, who sued three local judges says she was literally ousted from her office Tuesday. The clerk, Karla Allsberry, says in a statement that Presiding Judge Patrick Flynn entered her office with armed deputies and ordered her to leave, report the St. Louis Post-Dispatch…

May 30, 2019 9:25 AM CDT

Number of prisoners hits 9-year low, but some states are resisting the trend

The number of people in U.S. prisons fell to a nine-year low of just under 1.5 million last year, a 1.3 percent decrease, according to a report released recently by the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice.

Apr 26, 2019 2:36 PM CDT