The Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today (Tuesday) in Jefferson City in the case of a prisoner appealing his death sentence for killing a Springfield girl five years ago. Fifty-one-year-old Craig Michael Wood is currently incarcerated in Potosi, under a death sentence. Wood was convicted of first-degree murder for the 2014 […]
Tag: judge
Jury convicts Independence man of illegal firearm after shooting girlfriend
An Independence, Missouri, man was convicted by a federal trial jury of illegally possessing a firearm that he used to shoot his girlfriend. William C. McGee, 43, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was charged as a career criminal due to his prior felony convictions. Police officers were […]
Pre-trial conference held for man charged in death of Danette Rardon
Three days have been set aside for a jury trial for the defendant accused in a traffic accident at Chillicothe that killed one person and injured a young girl. The fatality accident was November 25th of 2017 in downtown Chillicothe. Thirty-nine-year-old Danette Rardon of Chillicothe died in the two-vehicle wreck. Twenty-four-year-old Shawn Michael Yuille faces […]
Audio: Missouri Supreme Court overturns death sentence of Marvin Rice
The Missouri Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence for a man convicted of killing the mother of his child and her boyfriend in southern Missouri’s Dent County in December 2011. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that the circuit court committed errors during the trial. The decision was written […]
Audio: Missouri Senate passes proposed constitutional amendment making it tougher to impeach a Missouri governor
The state Senate has passed a bill that would make it tougher to impeach a sitting Missouri governor. The proposed change would let the Senate lead impeachment trials, instead of the House and a panel of judges. Bill sponsor, Lamar Republican Ed Emery, has been working on the proposal for several years and says allegations […]
Hegeman and Luetkemeyer demand reform from Army Corps of Engineers
In the wake of flooding, Republican State Senators Dan Hegeman of Cosby and Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville filed Missouri Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 this week urging the United States Army Corps of Engineers to reprioritize flood control in the management of the Missouri River. The Corps of Engineers changed the Missouri River Master Manual in […]
Six face judge in Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court
Among cases Tuesday in the Associate Division of Grundy County Circuit Court, Duane Shiner of Lexington appeared via Polycom video communication and waived a preliminary hearing on five felony counts. The cases were bound over to the May 16th docket in Division One of circuit court. Shiner was arrested following a law enforcement pursuit east […]
California man pleads guilty to sex trafficking of six victims
A Sacramento, California, man pleaded guilty in federal court to the sex trafficking of six victims. Ronald Ean Taylor, 45, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to six counts of the sex trafficking of an adult. By pleading guilty, Taylor admitted that he used force, fraud or coercion to cause six victims […]
Area FFA teams do well in judging event at Savannah
Princeton had three FFA judging teams win first place and another took second in various categories during career development events Monday in Savannah. Princeton won first place in horses, livestock, and dairy cattle; second in meats judging, and other teams finished fourth both in poultry and the FFA knowledge event. Among other first place FFA teams […]
Audio: Cole County circuit judge hears arguments in Hawley subpoena case
A Cole County circuit judge heard about 45 minutes of arguments on Friday in Jefferson City on Missouri Senator Josh Hawley’s motion to quash an attorney’s subpoena for a deposition. Hawley’s lawyer, Brian Barnes, tells Capitol reporters this is a dispute over whether a $3,600 fee is appropriate to review 13,000 documents. But […]
Prison sentences and probation handed down in Thursday session of Grundy County Court
Thursday’s session of Grundy County Circuit Court resulted in a mix of prison sentences and probations imposed by Circuit Judge Thomas Alley. An Iowa resident, Jessica Ann Rinehart of Kellogg, pleaded guilty to four felony counts and was sentenced to seven years with the Department of Corrections for each. Terms run concurrently. Ms. Rinehart was […]
Area schools compete in FFA judging event in Lathrop
In career development event results from the Lathrop judging day on Monday, March 11, 2019, the Princeton FFA had two teams win first place while teams from Trenton, Grundy R-5, Gallatin, Hamilton, South Harrison, and Putnam County each had one first-place finish. Princeton took top honors at Lathrop in horse evaluations. Individually, Payton Goodin was […]
Former Missouri teacher sentenced to 8-years on child pornography charges
A former Lebanon, Missouri, teacher was sentenced in federal court for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet. Brandon Hileman, 26, of Lebanon, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to eight years in federal prison without parole. Hileman, formerly a math teacher at Joel E. Barber Junior High School in […]
Mexican nationals plead guilty to illegal firearms and marijuana
Two Mexican nationals have pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing firearms after police officers interrupted them shooting handguns in their backyard. Juan Carlos Cuevas-Alvarez, 33, a citizen of Mexico unlawfully residing in Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on Monday, March 11, 2019, to being an illegal […]
Six waive preliminary hearings during Tuesday session of Grundy County court
Six of the defendants who have waived preliminary hearings, face various drug-related charges in Grundy County with each having their cases bound over to Division One of the circuit court for appearances Thursday, March 14th. They include Krystal Leanna Martin, Misty Miller, Dawson Ray Clark, Alexander James Curtis, Levi Judson O’Neal, all of Trenton, and […]
Missouri Department of Agriculture opens entries for annual “Focus on Missouri Agriculture” photo contest
The Missouri Department of Agriculture today launched the 10th annual Focus on Missouri Agriculture photo contest, asking Missourians to share the unique stories and images of agriculture through photographs. The contest, which runs through June 14, is an opportunity for amateur photographers across the state to submit their best images of Missouri agriculture. That image […]
Missouri man sentenced for $4.7 Million cattle investment fraud scheme
A Clinton, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for a $4.7 million investment fraud scheme in which he defrauded 92 investors who believed they were purchasing cattle for resale at a profit. Cameron J. Hager, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, to eight years […]
Tammy Hanes retires as court clerk after 33-years of service
A longtime court clerk in Grundy County, Tammy Hanes, is retiring February 28, 2019. For 33-years, Mrs. Hanes has been clerk of the associate division, Grundy County Circuit Court. During her career, she has worked for only three judges: the late Herb Brown for a year and a half, the late Tom Pickett for 12 […]
Audio: Missouri Legislature considers bill about poachers
Lawmakers have reintroduced a proposal that would allow judges to order poachers to pay restitution fees ranging from $375 to $5,000. Two identical bills filed in the Missouri House and Senate could gain more traction this year considering three recent cases in which elk were illegally killed. Under the proposed legislation, the fees […]
Area Future Business Leaders of America students qualify for state competition
Several Trenton high school and Grundy R-5 high school students won first place in various categories when the Future Business Leaders of America held district-wide competitions. There were numerous entries present when onsite judging was held at the Chillicothe United Methodist Church. Others participated in performance events that were pre-judged or evaluated in online tests […]