Prison Sentence News Graphic

Missouri man sentenced to 13 years in prison, without parole, for drug trafficking meth, illegal firearms and carjacking

A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for distributing methamphetamine, carjacking, and illegally possessing firearms after leading officers on three high-speed vehicle pursuits. Charles V. Bai, 29, of Independence,  was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 13 years in federal prison without parole. On Oct. 13, 2021, Bai pleaded guilty to […]

Dog fight or Dogfighting news graphic

Defendant sentenced to 3 years in prison for multistate dogfighting conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms

A Virginia resident was sentenced today to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to federal charges resulting from a lengthy investigation into a significant multi-state dogfighting conspiracy. According to court documents, Raymond L. Johnson, 41, of Henrico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in an […]

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

U.S. Senate panel bickers over Supreme Court nomination but sets vote next week

(Missouri Independent) – The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee reopened partisan disagreements Monday as members scheduled a vote for April 4 on Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Republicans’ criticisms of Jackson’s record and responses were either untrue or disingenuous. Meanwhile, ranking Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa again raised […]

Photo of border wall (Photo via Greg Bulla on Unsplash)

New process for asylum cases at the border unveiled by Biden administration

(Missouri Independent) – The Biden administration announced Thursday steps to expedite asylum cases at the U.S.-Mexico border in an attempt to resolve a years-long backlog, but policy advocates worry the streamlined process could prevent asylum seekers from obtaining legal representation if their cases are denied.  “If somebody is not approved in the first instance, they’re […]

A gavel and a name plate with the engraving Lawsuit

Missouri Attorney General files suit against Missouri School Boards Association for alleged Sunshine Law violations

To kick off Sunshine Week, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed suit against the Missouri School Boards Association for alleged violations of the Sunshine Law. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office previously requested records from the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) related to their role in the October 4, 2021 memo from the Biden Administration and […]

Life in Prison News Graphic

Man sentenced to life in prison for creating child sexual abuse material of 20 victims, ranging in age from infant to nine years old

A man was sentenced to life in prison for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, creating child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of 20 victims whose ages ranged from infancy to nine years old, obtaining custody of a minor for purposes of producing CSAM, and possessing CSAM. Arlan Wesley Harrell, 27, of Hawthorne, California pleaded guilty […]

Donald Kauerauf, the director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, speaks during a press conference at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on July 21, 2021

Before ouster, Missouri health director drafted a letter to senators that was never sent

(Missouri Independent) – On the Friday before a drawn-out confirmation battle ended with his ouster from office, Missouri state Health Director Donald Kauerauf wrote an impassioned letter meant to convince conservative legislators who were on the fence about his appointment.  The message: While he believed in vaccines and data and science, he didn’t believe in vaccine […]

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall spoke at the organization’s 2022 annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia (photo provided by American Farm Bureau Federation)

American Farm Bureau Federation claims it’s the ‘voice of agriculture,’ Others beg to differ

(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published as a collaboration between Investigate Midwest and Watchdog Writers Group. The American Farm Bureau Federation calls itself the “voice of agriculture,” a slogan it trademarked in 2007. But as the divide between agribusiness and small farmers has grown in recent decades, a unified voice of agriculture has become harder to […]