Missouri Attorney General Seal and Gavel

Missouri Attorney General’s office delivers oral arguments at Supreme Court in vaccine mandate case

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office appeared in front of the United States Supreme Court to deliver oral arguments in Biden v. Missouri, the lawsuit brought by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office that challenges the federal vaccine mandate on health care workers. “Missouri was the first state to file suit against the Biden Administration’s private employer […]

United States Supreme Court (Phot credit Laura Olson - States Newsroom)

Supreme Court appears wary of Biden vaccine-or-test employer mandate

(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared unconvinced Friday of the Biden administration’s authority to impose a vaccine-or-test mandate on private businesses, casting doubt on a key piece of the White House COVID-19 response. The justices seemed potentially more comfortable with another Biden administration rule to fight the virus that requires certain […]

Cocaine

Mexican national sentenced to 12 years in prison without parole for conspiracy to distribute 5,732 pounds of cocaine

A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy that distributed more than 2,600 kilograms (5,732 pounds) of cocaine in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Jesus Salvador Campoy-Estrada, also known as “Chava” and “Chavita,” 27, of Kansas City, Kansas, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 12 […]

Trenton Missouri Police Department (TPD)

Three from Trenton arrested including married couple

The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a married couple from Trenton and another Trenton resident on January 6th. Thirty-seven-year-old Lynnsey Marie Betz has been charged with the felonies of possession of a controlled substance and delivery or possession of a controlled substance at a county or private jail or correctional center except […]

Scott Fitzpatrick

Missouri schools must comply with COVID ruling to win treasurer approval of bond deals

(Missouri Independent) – If school districts want to take advantage of a lower interest rate on bonds, Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is requiring them to certify compliance with a recent court ruling targeting local health orders before his office will approve of the deal. Fitzpatrick detailed the decision he described as “unprecedented” in an interview Wednesday […]

School buses wait Tuesday outside Thomas Hart Benton Elementary School in Columbia (Photo Credit Rudi Keller Missouri Independent

Confusion around COVID ruling swirls as two Missouri school districts end semester early

(Missouri Independent) – As a growing number of Missouri school districts drop COVID mitigation measures under threat from Attorney General Eric Schmitt, at least two closed the doors on their fall semester early due to large numbers of staff and students out sick. Meanwhile, local public health departments said Tuesday they still have not heard […]

Mask Mandate News Graphic

Audio: Missouri counties challenging judge’s ruling that mask mandates are unconstitutional

St. Louis and County and Jackson County are returning legal fire after Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt sued to have the mask mandates effectively outlawed.     A Missouri judge last month invalidated many orders, including mask mandates, from the state Department of Health and Senior Services. The counties are appealing the ruling. If an […]

Prison Sentence news graphic

Missouri man who crashed stolen car into house, sentenced to six years in prison for Illegally possessing a firearm

 A Missouri, man who crashed a stolen car into a house after smoking methamphetamine was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm. William T. Bryand, 29, Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to six years in federal prison without parole. On July 15, 2021, Bryand pleaded guilty to […]

Indictment graphic with gavel and file folder

Missouri man who contacted hundreds of children through a teen dating website indicted on child sexual exploitation charges

A Missouri, man who contacted hundreds of children through a teen dating website was indicted by a federal grand jury on child sexual exploitation charges. Kody Ryan Kelso, 30, Springfield, was charged in a five-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. The superseding indictment replaces the original indictment that was […]