By Mike Lear (Missourinet) – A plan to reform the state’s municipal courts has made it to a committee of House and Senate members who will try to find a version both chambers can agree on.

The House added to a bill that would further limit how much of a city’s annual revenue can come from traffic tickets and fines, language requiring minimum standards for local government in St. Louis County, including a capital improvements plan and annual audits.

Senate sponsor Eric Schmitt (R-Glendale) says some senators are worried those requirements could violate the Hancock Amendment; a constitutional protection against the state requiring local governments to do something they have to pay for.

“I think there are some good ideas there, but we’ll have to figure out how that relates to the bill,” Schmitt told Missourinet.

That language was offered by House Speaker John Diehl, who said no one has discussed those concerns with him.

“I don’t think there are any Hancock issues with it, but we’re happy to discuss whatever concerns there are,” Diehl told Missourinet. “It’s something that we feel pretty strongly about and I think it was pretty instrumental to having the bill pass the House.”

The two chambers must also agree on how much the bill would change the current 30-percent limit to how much of a city’s annual revenue can come from traffic tickets and fines, with anything beyond that limit going to school districts local to that city. Both chambers propose reducing it to 20-percent in most of the state. The Senate, though, would reduce it further to 10-percent in “suburban areas,” while the House would reduce it to 15-percent only in St. Louis County.

The plan was prompted in part by Department of Justice findings that Ferguson Municipal Courts were discriminating against blacks and were more focused on generating revenue than administering justice.

Nine days remain before the end of the session.

By Kyle Loethen (Missourinet) – The federal government has approved a program that will help pay for police body cameras for local law enforcement agencies nationwide.

The Justice Department announced a new $20-million program to fund the use of police body cameras for local law enforcement agencies.

State Senator Jamilah Nasheed has made a push in the Senate to mandate the use of body cameras by police in Missouri. Nasheed said throughout the country, community and law enforcement are divided.

“The federal government sees the light and we are still blind by the light as a state,” said Nasheed. “Until we’re able to look at those body cameras, not as a negative, but as a positive in terms of bridging the gap between community and law enforcement, only then will we see true progress.”

State Representative and Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus Brandon Ellington has filed bills in the House that would mandate the use of body cameras in Missouri, but many lawmakers were opposed to Ellington’s proposed ways to pay for them.

“We keep creating excuses as to why we cannot fund this, when we know we can if we are a little innovative,” said Ellington. “I’m very appreciative that the federal government sees it’s a necessity to make money available for equipment that not only protects law enforcement, but protects citizens.”

Ellington hopes the new federal program will help diminish opposition, but said there are still key lawmakers who do not want to move this type of legislation forward.

“Now we can point at a funding mechanism that’s already out there, but I’m afraid that we’re not going to have movement on it until the leadership in the majority party feels it’s a necessity to protect citizens that are most vulnerable to police brutality and to protect police because it definitely protects the police against malicious accusations,” said Ellington.

Nasheed also hopes the new federal program will propel body camera legislation in Missouri.

“It is a step in the right direction and I am elated that the Justice Department has stepped to the plate,” said Nasheed. “That’s something we need to do here on the state level and I’m going to continue to fight for body cameras.”

The Justice Department’s program includes 17-million dollars in grants for police departments to buy cameras and 3-million for training, technical assistance, and evaluation.

By Mike Lear (Missourinet) – The Missouri House has approved a bill that would extend the castle doctrine to houseguests.

Missouri homeowners have a legal defense for using deadly force against intruders. Representative Jo Don McGaugh (R-Carrollton) proposes extending that to guests in a home as well.

“What this bill does is a common-sense expansion to say if I’m not the owner of that property but I’ve been given the authority of that property owner to protect my family and my property, that they can act in the same manner as what the public policy of the State of Missouri is now,” McGaugh said during House debate.

Representative Jeremy LaFaver (D-Kansas City) said he was alright with a different provision of the bill, but said he’s concerned expanding the castle doctrine will only lead to, “more dead people.”

“Increasing guns and increasing people with guns who are ready to defend; perhaps appropriately, perhaps not, I worry about that,” said LaFaver.

The bill would also allow municipal or county prosecuting attorneys and municipal, associate circuit or circuit judges who have completed required training to carry firearms in courtrooms and exempt them from other firearms violations, and would allow an individual to take some required firearms safety training online.

The bill, HB 122, goes to the Senate for consideration.

Colonel J. Bret Johnson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, was sworn in at 10:30 a.m. on May 1, 2015, in his hometown of Unionville, MO, at the Putnam County Courthouse.

“I am honored and humbled to take the Oath of Office as the 22nd superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol,” said Colonel J. Bret Johnson. “It is especially meaningful to take the oath in my hometown where my law enforcement career began over 30 years ago.”

Johnson, a native of Unionville, was appointed to the Patrol in August 1986, and a member of the 58th Recruit Class. He served in assignments in Troop B (Macon, MO) and Troop F (Jefferson City, MO) before being assigned to General Headquarters as the legislative liaison. In 2007, he was promoted to major and served as the bureau commander for Support Services Bureau before transferring to the Field Operations Bureau. Governor Nixon nominated Johnson to become the Patrol superintendent on February 11, 2015, and he was confirmed by the Missouri Senate on Thursday, March 19, 2015.

“Bret Johnson has done an outstanding job throughout his career with the Patrol, including helping lead major Patrol operations,” said Governor Nixon. “I am confident he will continue to command the Patrol with the same integrity and commitment that Colonel Ron Replogle provided in his five years of service to the citizens of Missouri as superintendent.”

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom Friday urged Kansas law enforcement agencies to consider applying for a new federal program to help equip officers with body cameras.

“I have traveled across Kansas and spoken to law enforcement and community leaders,” Grissom said. “I have heard from both groups that body cameras should be standard equipment. Both sides of this issue agree this is one of the best ways to build trust and to keep both the public and officers safe.”

Grissom was one of many federal law enforcement officials who urged the Justice Department to provide assistance to law enforcement agencies that adopt body cameras.

The Department of Justice Friday announced a $20 million Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Pilot Partnership Program to respond to the immediate needs of local and tribal law enforcement organizations. The investment includes $17 million in competitive grants for the purchase of body-worn cameras, $2 million for training and technical assistance and $1 million for the development of evaluation tools to study best practices. The pilot program is part of President Obama’s proposal to invest $75 million over three years to purchase 50,000 body-worn cameras for law enforcement agencies.

“This body-worn camera pilot program is a vital part of the Justice Department’s comprehensive efforts to equip law enforcement agencies throughout the country with the tools, support, and training they need to tackle the 21st century challenges we face,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. “Body-worn cameras hold tremendous promise for enhancing transparency, promoting accountability, and advancing public safety for law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”

Administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the BWC pilot program will provide support to help law enforcement agencies develop, implement and evaluate body-worn camera programs across the United States.

“Body-worn camera technology is a valuable tool for improving police-citizen relationships,” said Director Denise O’Donnell of the Bureau of Justice Assistance. “BJA is committed to helping law enforcement agencies identify the safest and most effective methods for deploying this technology and addressing factors such as privacy, archiving and legal regulations surrounding its use. BJA stands by to guide agencies through what can be a complex process toward more successful adoption of the technology.”

The Justice Department expects to provide 50 awards to law enforcement agencies, with about one-third of the grants directed toward smaller law enforcement agencies. The grants, which require a 50/50 in-kind or cash match, can be used to purchase equipment but applicants must establish a strong plan for implementation of body-worn cameras and a robust training policy before purchasing cameras. The long term costs associated with storing this information will be the financial responsibility of each local agency.

Another $2 million will fund a national BWC Training and Technical Assistance provider through a competitive process, to assist agencies developing and enhancing their BWC programs. This training and technical assistance will provide support to law enforcement agencies to support successful implementation of their body-worn camera programs.

OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) will receive $1 million of the funds to collect data on body-worn camera usage through surveys of law enforcement agencies. BJS will also design data collection forms that can be used in future surveys of prosecutors and public defenders to measure how body-worn camera footage is being used by the courts in criminal cases.

BJA will launch a BWC Implementation Toolkit in May, designed as an online resource for stakeholders. The toolkit will focus on implementation requirements, retention issues, policy concerns, interests of prosecutors, victim and privacy advocates’ concerns, along with community engagement and funding considerations.

Six Missourians have pleaded guilty in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to illegally possessing a firearm.

Phuoc Hong, also known as Tony Hong, 32, of Warrensburg, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Wednesday, April 29, 2015, to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from December 2013 to May 2014.

Co-defendants Garrett D. Statler, 21, and Alyce M. Maher, 27, both of Warrensburg, Mo.; Dylan K. Avery, 19, of Clinton, Mo.; and Arturo-Lorenzo Roldan, 34, of Independence, Mo., have also pleaded guilty earlier this month to their roles in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Co-defendant Tony D. Meyer, 42, of Sedalia, Mo., recently pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Hong admitted that he sold methamphetamine from his Warrensburg residence and from other locations. During the investigation, an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives purchased methamphetamine from Hong on 11 occasions and purchased cocaine or crack cocaine from Hong on four occasions.

Hong purchased his methamphetamine from Roldan and purchased his cocaine from a different source. Roldan admitted that he sold Hong approximately one to ounces of methamphetamine per week, later increasing to two to three ounces per week. Hong also supplied methamphetamine to Meyer, Statler, Avery and Maher, who then supplied others.

The investigation resulted in the purchase or seizure of a total of 424.6 grams of methamphetamine, 68.3 grams of cocaine and 65.7 grams of crack cocaine. In addition to the methamphetamine actually purchased from Hong, it is believed that he is responsible for at least another pound of methamphetamine that he sold to Meyer.

Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Roldan’s residence and seized 88.5 grams of methamphetamine and $12,000 that came from the sale of a pound of methamphetamine to another individual. Based on this, Roldan is responsible for approximately 1.65 kilograms of methamphetamine (an estimated two ounces a week for five months (1120 grams), 88.5 grams found during the search and a pound sale (448 grams) represented by the $12,000).

Meyer admitted that he was in possession of a Hi-Point 9mm pistol when his vehicle was stopped by Kansas City, Mo., police officers on Jan. 18, 2014. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Meyer has two prior felony convictions for assaulting a law enforcement officer, four prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, two prior felony convictions for distributing a controlled substance, and prior felony convictions for trafficking in drugs, possessing drug paraphernalia, robbery, assault, and leaving the scene of an accident.

Under federal statutes, Hong and Roldan are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $10 million. Meyer is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. Statler is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $5 million. Avery and Maher are each subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $1 million.

Sentencing hearings have been scheduled for Aug. 27 and 28, 2015.