A 21-year-old who pleaded guilty to the shooting death of a two-year-old northwest Missouri girl has been sentenced to 26 years in prison. Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg sentenced Marcain Kimbrough-Ballard of St. Joseph after an emotional hearing in a Buchanan County courtroom. Kimbrough-Ballard, in an earlier court hearing, admitted to firing shots into […]
Tag: judge
Pre-trial conference set for May 2, murder trial set for June 6 in case involving death of Diemel brothers
Braymer resident Garland Joey Nelson will have his murder trial sooner than previously scheduled. At a hearing on Tuesday in Johnson County Circuit Court in Warrensburg, a three-week jury trial is now set to begin June 6, 2022. The trial was previously was listed for February of next year. Online information shows a case review […]
Audio: Missouri House attempts to ban judges from changing ballot language written by Legislature
The Missouri House has given initial approval to a bill that would ban judges from changing ballot language written by the Legislature. The proposal follows two Missouri courts rewriting language for a controversial legislative redistricting measure passed by voters last fall. Bill sponsor John Wiemann, a Republican from O’Fallon, and Hillsdale Democrat Kevin Windham debated […]
Daughter of Mexican cartel leader pleads guilty to criminal violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act
A dual U.S.-Mexican citizen pleaded guilty today to willfully engaging in financial dealings with Mexican companies that had been identified as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to court documents, Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, 34, of Guadalajara, Mexico, violated the criminal penalties of […]
Judge Thomas Alley hands down prison time in Division One of Grundy County Circuit Court
Three people were sentenced to prison during Division One proceedings in Grundy County Circuit Court on Thursday. Trenton resident Vance Allan Gannon pleaded guilty to three counts and had one dismissed. Gannon was sentenced to five years with the department of corrections for resisting arrest, detention or stop by fleeing creating a substantial risk to […]
Missouri man sentenced to 8-years in prison for $6 million Ponzi scheme
A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for engaging in a $6 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded dozens of victim investors. Matthew R. Peterson, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to eight years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Peterson to pay […]
Missouri man sentenced to 15-years in prison without parole for child pornography
A Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography. Brian M. Turner, 38, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 14, 2020, Turner pleaded guilty to receiving and distributing child pornography. The investigation began in December […]
Fourteen area counties to send top spellers to compete in Northwest Missouri Regional Spelling Bee
Fourteen counties will send their top two spellers to compete when Mosaic Life Care Foundation hosts and sponsors the Northwest Missouri Regional Spelling Bee this weekend. Registration for the bee will begin at EmPowerU at 518 South Sixth Street in Saint Joseph Saturday afternoon at 12:30. The competition will start at 1 o’clock. Those spellers […]
Mosaic Life Care Foundation to host Northwest Missouri Regional Spelling Bee
Mosaic Life Care Foundation will host and sponsor the Northwest Missouri Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 13, at emPowerU, 518 South 6th St. Registration for the spelling bee will begin at 12:30 p.m., followed by the competition at 1 p.m. Upon arrival, Mosaic Life Care Foundation will follow appropriate guidelines with visitors, including temperature […]
Four chosen for Grundy Electric Cooperative Youth Leadership Program
Four delegates have been selected for Grundy Electric Cooperative’s Youth Leadership Contest. They are high school juniors Kate Rogers of South Harrison R-2, Colton Roy of Trenton R-9, Kinslee Stokely of Princeton R-5, and Marissa Meek of Ridgeway R-5. The leadership conference in Washington, D. C. Was canceled due to COVID-19. Each delegate will receive […]
Missouri Supreme Court Judge Laura Stith retires after 20-years on the bench
A 20-year chapter ends today for Missouri Supreme Court Judge Laura Denvir Stith. After serving on the high court for two decades, Stith is retiring. The photos have come down off her office walls. Stith has packed up her certificates and awards she proudly showcased in her third-floor office along West High Street in Jefferson […]
Missouri man pleads guilty to illegal firearms following armed standoff with police officers
A Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm following a brief armed standoff with police officers and a foot chase. Michael D. Moore, 31, of Kansas City pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Moore was arrested on Monday, […]
Missouri man connected to drive-by shooting sentenced to 5-years in prison
A Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing several firearms, including the firearm used in a drive-by shooting. Eric L. Harper, 28, Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to five years and six months- in federal prison without parole. The sentence reflects an upward variance from the […]
Audio: Missouri Supreme Court issues opinion in high-profile Lamar Johnson case
The Missouri Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from convicted murderer Lamar Johnson of St. Louis, a case that has received national media attention. It’s also a case that has attracted attention from elected prosecutors from across the nation and Missouri. The 47-year-old Johnson has been incarcerated since 1995, serving a life sentence without parole […]
Registered Missouri sex offender sentenced to 15 years in prison without parole for child pornography
A registered sex offender in Raytown, Missouri, was sentenced in federal court for receiving child pornography over the internet. Joseph L. Smith, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Smith to spend the rest of his life on supervised release […]
Defendant sentenced to 36-years in prison on multiple counts of sex and drug trafficking
Prince Bixler, 41, of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Wier to 36 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $333,100 in restitution to three sex trafficking victims. In September 2020, a federal jury convicted Bixler of 15 federal felonies related to his […]
Trenton man pleads guilty to bad checks; Spickard man waives preliminary hearing on sexual abuse allegation
Rural Trenton resident Jerry Urick, on a plea agreement in the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court, has been sentenced, fined, and placed on probation in connection with bad checks from late last year. Urick on Tuesday pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts of passing bad checks. Five other counts were dismissed according to […]
WWII Nazi concentration camp guard removed to Germany
A Tennessee resident with German citizenship was removed to Germany for participating in Nazi-sponsored acts of persecution while serving as an armed guard at a Nazi concentration camp in 1945. In February 2020, Friedrich Karl Berger, 95, was ordered removed from the U.S. based on his participation in Nazi-sponsored persecution while serving in Nazi Germany […]