MAKING NEWS NOW ...
HEATHER
PROSECUTING ATTORNIES ACROSS THE
STATE ARE RAISING CONCERNS OVER
A RECENT
AMENDMENT TO CRIME LEGISLATION
IN THE MISSOURI SENATE.
HOUSE BILL 2 WOULD ALLOW THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO
TAKE OVER CERTAIN MURDER
CASES.
IT COME AS REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS
CONTINUE TO CRITICIZE ST. LOUIS
CIRCUIT ATTORNEY KIM GARDNER
FOR MOVING TOO SLOW.
HEATHER
BAILEY STROHL SPOKE TO DAN
PATTERSON TODAY.
BAILEY, HOW COULD THIS CRIME
BILL AFFECT US HERE AT HOME...?
BAILEY
AT ITS CORE -- HOUSE BILL TWO
INVOLVES WITNESS TESTIMONY BEING
ALLOWED IN COURT UNDER
CIRCUMSTANCES OF WITNESS
INTIMIDATION.
BUT PATTERSON IS WORRIED THAT
THE NEW AMENDMENT -- WILL SET
PRECEDENT OF TAKING
POWER AWAY FROM LOCAL AGENCIES.
Dan Patterson / Greene County
Prosecuting Attorney: "So what
this does is it side-steps, it's
a political maneuver to avoid
how our criminal justice system
is set up."
GREENE COUNTY PROSECUTING
ATTORNEY
DAN PATTERSON SAYS THE RECENT
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2 SEEKS
TO UNDERMINE THE AUTHORITY
ELECTED PROSECTUORS HAVE.
LAWMAKERS WANT TO REDUCE CRIME
IN SAINT
LOUIS, AND BELIEVE CIRCUIT
ATTORNEY KIM GARDNER, ISN'T
DOING ENOUGH TO TAKE DOWN
MURDERERS.
Patterson: So this is nothing
but a political manuever to
avoid the
democratic process that just
functioned in terms of her
election and try to usurp her
authority as the prosecuting
attorney for that jurisdiction.
IF THIS NEW BILL PASSES - IT
WOULD ALLOW THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO
PROSECUTE HOMICIDE CASES ON ITS
OWN, AS LONG AS 90 DAYS
HAVE PASSED SINCE THE ALLEGED
CRIME TOOK PLACE, AND NO CHARGES
OR INDICTMENTS HAVE
BEEN OFFICIALLY FILED.
IT APPLIES ONLY TO ST. LOUIS,
BUT PATTERSON
SAYS WORDING IN THE AMENDMENT
WOULD NOT LIMIT IT TO ONE CITY
OR ONE PROSECUTOR.
Patterson: "You have someone in
Jeff City, trying to step in,
second guess and make decisions
for that community."
HE SAYS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S
OFFICE DOESN'T
HAVE ENOUGH STAFF OR MONEY TO
TAKE ON SO MANY HOMICIDE CASES
WITHOUT TAKING TIME
AWAY FROM OTHER COUNTIES WHO
NEED IT.
PATTERSON ALSO QUESTIONS THE
CONSITUTIONALITY OF THE BILL.
Patterson: "Because our law
says that a bill has to relate
to
one topic. The way this was
tacked on to this witness bill
and has nothing to do with that
is also problematic under our
law."
BAILEY
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE
DECLINED TO RESPOND ON THE
ASSOCIATION'S
STATEMENT. BUT DID PROVIDE US
WITH THIS: SPOKESMAN FOR THE
A-G'S OFFICE CRIS (NELL)
NUELLE....
"AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE IS
READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO
ASSIST IN
PROSECUTING VIOLENT CRIME IN ST.
LOUIS CITY"
BAILEY
THE BILL WILL NOW GO BACK TO THE
HOUSE FOR APPROVAL WHEN THEY
RECOVENE WEDNESDAY.
HEATHER
NEW INFORMATION TONIGHT AT SIX
