Courts
Republican nominee for Missouri lieutenant governor drops defamation lawsuit
The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor has dropped a defamation lawsuit he filed before the Aug. 6 primary against the corporate owner of Missouri television stations and one of his political rivals. David Wasinger filed the lawsuit on Aug. 2 claiming that a television ad run by another Republican vying for the lieutenant governor nomination […]
Missouri judge puts Lake of the Ozarks casino proposal on November ballot
A proposal to allow a new casino to be licensed on the Osage River near the Lake of the Ozarks will be on the November ballot, a Cole County judge ruled Friday. The initiative, which was initially found to be 2,031 signatures short in the 2nd Congressional District, actually did have enough valid signatures, Secretary […]
St. Louis judge sets trial date for defamation case against Gateway Pundit
A St. Louis judge this week set a trial date of next March 10 for the defamation lawsuit against the owners of the far-right conspiracy site Gateway Pundit over false allegations of election fraud against two Georgia poll workers. Although trial schedules can always be amended, the Aug. 26 order by Judge Elizabeth Hogan appears […]
DOJ looks to revive classified documents case against Trump, argues judge’s dismissal was ‘flawed’
WASHINGTON — U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith has asked a federal appeals court to reverse the dismissal of a case alleging former President Donald Trump mishandled classified documents at his Florida home after he left the Oval Office. The appeals process could take months, likely closing the door on any movement in the classified documents […]
Drugmakers sue to block Missouri law on federal prescription discounts
Three major pharmaceutical companies and their national lobbying organization are suing Missouri to block enforcement of a new state law requiring them to give medical providers unlimited access to discounted drugs for their pharmacies. In four federal lawsuits filed over the past month, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Abbvie and PhRMA, the lobbying arm of the pharmaceutical industry, […]
Federal appeals court declares Missouri’s ‘Second Amendment Preservation Act’ unconstitutional
A Missouri law declaring some federal gun regulations “invalid” is unconstitutional because it violates the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause, a federal appeals court in St. Louis unanimously ruled on Monday. A three-judge panel of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a district court ruling from last year that blocked Missouri from enforcing the […]
Lawsuit seeks to knock Missouri abortion-rights amendment off Nov. 5 ballot
A pair of Republican state legislators and an anti-abortion activist filed a lawsuit Thursday asking a judge to block an abortion-rights constitutional amendment from appearing on the Nov. 5 ballot. State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, state Rep. Hannah Kelly and Kathy Forck sued last year challenging the cost estimate for a proposed constitutional amendment rolling back […]
Administrative law judges sue Missouri governor for wrongful termination, withheld salary
A pair of administrative law judges are suing the Parson administration claiming wrongful termination and illegal withholding of salary. Ryan Asbridge, who has served as an administrative law judge since 2019, and Gina Mitten, who has served since 2021, filed a lawsuit last week in Cole Circuit Court. They allege the administration of Gov. Mike […]
Lawsuit argues sports wagering amendment should be kept off Missouri ballot
A lawsuit filed Wednesday seeks to block a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing sports wagering in Missouri from being placed on the November ballot. The suit, filed in Cole County Circuit Court, argues the methodology used by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office to certify that the sports betting proposal collected enough signatures was unconstitutional. To […]
Dean Plocher accused of trying to ‘mislead this court’ in whistleblower lawsuit
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher’s arguments to dismiss a whistleblower lawsuit filed against him earlier this year don’t withstand scrutiny and are an effort to “mislead this court,” attorneys for Chief Clerk Dana Miller wrote in a motion filed this week. Miller’s lawsuit, filed in May, accuses Plocher and his chief of staff, Rod Jetton, […]
Despite bankruptcy dismissal, Gateway Pundit seeks to further delay defamation case
The dismissal of its bankruptcy case in Florida is not stopping the Gateway Pundit from seeking a continued delay in the defamation case against it by two Georgia poll workers. But the case may be moving ahead soon regardless. In a motion filed Aug. 5 in the St. Louis Circuit Court, lawyers for the Gateway […]
Judge upholds ballot language to ban noncitizen voting, already illegal in Missouri
The ballot language written by lawmakers for a proposed constitutional amendment stating “only citizens of the United States” can vote and banning ranked-choice voting is fair and should be on the Nov. 5 ballot without changes, a Cole County judge ruled Monday. The “fair ballot language” summary written by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft also […]