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Expertise has modified how we talk. Missouri legislation hasn’t saved up with the instances.
J. Scott Applewhite
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We all know that U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley used non-public electronic mail accounts to conduct public enterprise whereas he was Missouri lawyer common. The motion violated the state’s Sunshine Regulation, the Democratic Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee claimed in lawsuit towards his workplace.
Final week, Cole County Circuit Courtroom Choose Jon Beetem heard arguments in courtroom, the place the state vigorously defended Hawley’s actions. Personal emails saved on non-government servers are usually not public data, counsel for the AG’s workplace argued.
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The messages now not exist, attorneys claimed. Due to this fact, the communication shouldn’t be thought-about public data.
How is that proper?
The observe of utilizing non-public means to conduct official state enterprise undermines state open data legal guidelines and has no place in Missouri politics.
Expertise has modified the best way all of us talk. Missouri legal guidelines governing report retention have didn’t sustain.
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Among the many Democratic Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee’s allegations: Hawley’s employees withheld emails the group sought between his taxpayer-funded workplace and the political consultants he used throughout his 2018 marketing campaign for Senate.
Will Beetem rule in favor of the state’s movement to dismiss the case? Or will the choose agree that public officers destroying messages and texts is prohibited and impose civil penalties towards the state AG’s workplace, per the plaintiff’s request?
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Elected officers conducting public enterprise in non-public can not develop into the norm in Missouri. The open data legislation falls beneath the purview of the state lawyer common. The statute ensures the general public has entry to public data.
Shouldn’t Hawley’s successor, fellow Republican Lawyer Normal Eric Schmitt, know {that a} public report is any written or electronically-stored doc regarding public enterprise? You’ll be able to’t skirt the legislation by claiming a report doesn’t exist if you deliberately destroy it. By that very same logic, it will be completely fantastic for officers to conduct authorities enterprise by writing on authorized pads from their very own properties, then burning the pages as soon as they’re completed.
Politicians utilizing non-public electronic mail servers or self-destroying messaging apps is nothing new. In 2017, Missourians had been launched to Confide, a text-deleting app utilized by disgraced former Gov. Eric Greitens and his employees that often disappeared their communications into the ether. Grietens was sued by advocates for open authorities.
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In 2019, Beetem dominated that Greitens’ use of Confide didn’t violate the open data legislation. As a result of the texts had been routinely deleted and never retained, no violation occurred, Beetem dominated. The case is now beneath enchantment. If the ruling shouldn’t be overturned, it will open an enormous loophole in Missouri’s open data legislation, making a strategy to defend authorities communications concerning public enterprise.
Mark Pedroli, one of many attorneys who sued the governor’s workplace for using Confide, says the results for the general public are large if the decrease courtroom’s dismissal is allowed to face. Authorities officers might conceal their communications with impunity, absolutely undermining the intent of Missouri Sunshine Regulation, stated Pedroli, a St. Louis County lawyer and founding father of the Sunshine and Authorities Accountability Challenge.
And that’s how we get to Hawley’s try to recreation the system. The lawyer common’s workplace is utilizing the identical logic to argue Hawley’s actions had been above board.
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Prime Republicans in Missouri consider the state’s open data legislation doesn’t pertain to them. We take the alternative view: Utilizing non-public electronic mail servers to conduct public enterprise is unhealthy authorities. One of many largest objections to Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential marketing campaign was her use of a personal electronic mail system, which was additionally unsuitable.
Digital data are not any totally different than something written on paper, and so they have to be retained. Interval.
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The Missouri State Highway Patrol has announced a total of 12 arrests in north Missouri between December 11 and December 15, 2024. These arrests involved various offenses, including driving while intoxicated, possession of controlled substances, and outstanding warrants. Below are the detailed reports of each individual arrested during this period.
Raiden M. Stephenson, 27, of Gower, Missouri, was arrested on December 11, 2024, at 9:25 p.m. in Buchanan County. He was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated (drugs) and exceeding the posted speed limit. Stephenson was held at the Buchanan County Law Enforcement Center on a 24-hour hold.
Jessica G. Lagud, 34, of Princeton, Missouri, was taken into custody on December 13, 2024, at 3:40 p.m. in Livingston County. She was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant for a moving traffic violation out of Putnam County. Lagud was held at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department and was eligible for bond.
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Cortez D. Reynolds, 33, of Gardner, Kansas, was arrested on December 13, 2024, at 4:58 p.m. in Atchison County. Reynolds faced multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated as an aggravated offender (felony), a misdemeanor warrant for driving while suspended or revoked from Troop A in Lee’s Summit, a misdemeanor warrant for speeding from Troop A in Lee’s Summit, and a speeding violation of 26 mph or more. He was held at the Atchison County Sheriff’s Department on a 12-hour hold.
Austin J. Bird, 22, of Maryville, Missouri, was arrested on December 13, 2024, at 11:11 p.m. in Nodaway County. He was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and was held at the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Department on a 12-hour hold.
Dantrell E. Pouge, 32, of Dalzell, South Carolina, was taken into custody on December 13, 2024, at 11:49 p.m. in Clinton County. He was arrested for misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and held at the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department on a 24-hour hold.
Clarissa A. Smith, 38, of Hamilton, Missouri, was arrested on December 14, 2024, at 11:00 p.m. in Clinton County. Smith was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and failure to stop at a stop sign. She was held at the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department on a 12-hour hold.
Alexandria E. Ward, 36, of Maple Grove, Minnesota, was arrested on December 15, 2024, at 9:26 a.m. in Clinton County. She faced charges for possession of controlled substances, including fentanyl and methamphetamines, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia. Ward was held at the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office on a 24-hour hold.
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Justin T. Barber, 44, of Kansas City, Missouri, was taken into custody on December 15, 2024, at 11:26 a.m. in Buchanan County. He was charged with violation of a court order and was held at the Buchanan County Law Enforcement Center. Barber was eligible for bond.
Bruyol Delien, 37, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was arrested on December 11, 2024, at 9:41 p.m. in Linn County. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, failing to maintain his lane, and speeding. Delien was held at the Brookfield Police Department but was later released.
Angelique L. Powers, 24, of Aurora, Illinois, was taken into custody on December 13, 2024, at 10:54 p.m. in Clark County. She was charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding. Powers was held at the Clark County Jail and later released.
Aj Bills, 22, of Wyaconda, Missouri, was arrested on December 14, 2024, at 10:31 p.m. in Scotland County. He faced charges for driving while intoxicated, no insurance, and no seatbelt. Bills was held at the Scotland County Jail and subsequently released.
Alejandro G. Castaneda, 29, of Milan, Missouri, was arrested on December 15, 2024, at 1:39 a.m. in Sullivan County. He was charged with driving while intoxicated and failing to display lighted lamps on his motor vehicle. Castaneda was held at the Sullivan County Jail and later released.
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The Missouri Football Coaches Association (MFCA) has released its Missouri Class 5 All-State Football Team. Platte County claimed the Class 5 state title in convincing fashion and scored 10 all-staters, including six on the first team. Helias Catholic, MICDS and Lafayette (Wildwood) also finished in the final four.
BOTTOM LINE: Missouri plays Lipscomb after Grace Slaughter scored 20 points in Missouri’s 94-55 win over the Northern Illinois Huskies.
The Tigers have gone 7-1 in home games. Missouri ranks ninth in the SEC in team defense, giving up 57.1 points while holding opponents to 37.4% shooting.
The Bisons are 1-2 in road games. Lipscomb ranks ninth in the ASUN allowing 66.4 points while holding opponents to 42.7% shooting.
Missouri averages 73.0 points, 6.6 more per game than the 66.4 Lipscomb gives up. Lipscomb scores 14.3 more points per game (71.4) than Missouri gives up (57.1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Slaughter is shooting 53.6% and averaging 15.2 points for the Tigers.
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Jalyn Holcomb is shooting 29.5% from beyond the arc with 2.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Bisons, while averaging 9.2 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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