One bill in the Missouri state legislature aims to increase penalties for certain drug charges. According to the bill, possession or distribution of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opiate, and some drugs classified as "date-rape drugs" would be classified as first- or...
Empower Yourself, Know Your Rights
Andrew Christie
Blog
What to know about involuntary manslaughter charges
If someone is accidentally killed in Missouri, it could be labeled as involuntary manslaughter. It could also be referred to as criminally negligent homicide. A person could also face such a charge if he or she was in the act of committing another crime and an...
How language and dialect can influence criminal cases
Prisons and jails in Missouri and around the country have a disproportionately high number of black inmates. Civil rights groups say that this is the result of systemic racism in the criminal justice system and have referred to the mass incarceration of...
Right to an attorney heads to state Supreme Court
Missouri – which has one of the worst records for funding public defenders in the country – will see its public defender system on trial in front of the state Supreme Court.At issue is decades of underfunding by state lawmakers which causes public...
Federal officers can’t force people to unlock their iPhone
Federal officers can't force people to unlock their iPhone with biometrics, such as finger or face access, according to a recent ruling from the U.S. District Court in Northern California. Previously, the feds were allowed to force this kind of entry while not being...
Panel issues recommendations to make roads safer
A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine offered a variety of ways to keep roads throughout Missouri and the rest of America safer. One of those suggestions was to reduce the legal blood alcohol limit to .05 percent from the current...
What if the police don’t read your rights?
On TV, when the police arrest someone, the officer will start off by saying, "You are under arrest, you have the right to remain silent..." Most of us know that a police officer reading someone their rights is important, but what happens if they don't? What...
Understanding what happens during a person’s first DUI arrest
For drivers in Missouri, getting their first DUI can be an overwhelming and terrifying experience. When a person is charged with a DUI, it means that they are being accused of driving while being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.In many cases, a person could...
Stress and culture may explain veteran drinking rates
Binge drinking and drunk driving is having a significant impact on veterans in Missouri and throughout the country. In 2016, the percentage of veterans who drove while under the influence of alcohol was 2.5 percent according to a study by the American Addiction...
Missouri DUI laws regarding commercial vehicle drivers
Commercial vehicle drivers can be facing a different situation than other motorists when accused of drunk driving. This is due to the special rules Missouri DUI law has in place when it comes to commercial vehicles.For one, there are special rules regarding BAC...