HCSHB1763--PROSECUTINGANDCIRCUITATTORNEYS
SPONSOR: Hicks
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheSpecial
CommitteeonGovernmentAccountability byavoteof11to2.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
1763.
Thisbillrequiresthat,beginningJanuary1,2027,allpolice
officersstatewide,countysheriffsandtheirdeputies,andcity
lawenforcementofficialsandtheirofficerstosubmitreferrals
foranytrafficviolation,ordinanceviolation,ormisdemeanoror
felonyoffensetoProsecutingorCircuitAttorneys. Referralsmust
beintheapprovedformandmanneroutlinedbytheMissouriOffice
ofProsecutionServices. Forfelonyoffenses,referralsmust
includeaprobablecausestatementandaninvestigativereport.
Currently,prosecutingattorneysareeligibletoreceive$2000of
theirauthorizedsalaryiftheycompleteaminimumof20hoursof
annualclassroominstructionrelatedtotheoperationsoftheir
office,approvedbyaprofessionalassociationofMissouricounty
prosecutingattorneys. Exemptionfromthistrainingispossibleif
approvedbytheprofessionalassociation. Uponcompletion,the
professionalassociationprovidesacertificatetoeachProsecuting
Attorney,andalistofcertifiedattorneysissenttotreasurerof
eachcounty.Thisbillspecifiesthattheseprovisionswillalso
applytotheCityofSaintLouis.
Thisbillrequiresthat10%ofaProsecutingAttorney'ssalarywill
bepaidonlyiftheycollectandmakeaccessiblethedatadescribed
inthisbill,followinganapprovedmethodbytheProsecutors
CoordinatorsTrainingCouncil. TheMissouriOfficeofProsecution
Serviceswillissueacertificateofcompliancetoattorneyswho
adheretothisrequirement,andalistofcertifiedattorneyswill
besenttotherespectivetreasurerofeachcountyorcity.
Additionally,5%ofthesalarywillbepaidiftheProsecuting
Attorneyprovidesdiscoveryaccordingtoanapprovedmethodbythe
ProsecutorsCoordinatorsTrainingCouncil.
Thisbillestablishesthe"ProsecutingandCircuitAttorneyReview
Committee"toreviewcomplaintsformallylodgedwiththeCommittee.
TheCommitteewillconsistoftheExecutiveDirectorforthe
MissouriOfficeofProsecutionServices(MOPS)andfourcurrentor
formerelectedprosecutingorcircuitattorneysappointedbythe
Council. TwoofthememberswillelectedasRepublicansandtwoof
thememberswillbeelectedasDemocrats. Thefourmembersmust
haveservedaminimumoftwofulltermsasanelectedorappointed prosecutingorcircuitattorney. Theappointmentsmustbemadeby
December1standtheinitialmemberswillstartonJanuary1,2028.
Ifavacancyoccursduringaterm,aqualifiedcurrentorformer
prosecutingorcircuitattorneywillbeselectedtofinishthe
existingtermandamembermustnotservemorethanthreetermsor
12years.
AformalcomplaintwillbemadetoMOPSwhenthereisathreatto
publicsafetyandhealthinajurisdiction. Athreattopublic
safetyandhealthinajurisdictionisconsideredtoexistif:
(1)Thenumberofoccurrencesofhomicidecasesinthe24months
immediatelyprecedingexceedsarateof35casesperevery100,000
peoplewithintheprosecutingorcircuitattorney'sjurisdiction;
(2)Theprosecutingorcircuitattorneyhasspecifiedcasesthat
includemurder,assualt,sodomy,rape,robbery,vehiclehijacking
andarmedcriminalaction,andtheprosecutingorcircuitattorney
hasnotfiledcharges,requestedfurtherinvestigation, orrefused
tofilechargeswithin10days;or
(3)Additionalinvestigationhasbeenrequestedandadecisionto
fileornottofilehasnotbeenmadeinthesespecifiedcriminal
offenseswithinsixmonths.
ThisbillrequiresthattheExecutiveDirectorconvenesameeting
oftheCommitteewithin10businessdaysofthereceiptofaformal
complaint. TheCommitteemeetingswillbeclosedandany
complaints,correspondences, votes,orremediationrecommendations
areclosedrecords. AnyrequesttotheGovernor,toappointa
specialprosecutingattorney,willbeanopenrecord.
Ifthecomplaintmeetstherequirementstobeconsideredaformal
complaint,theCommitteemustdeliverthecomplainttothe
prosecutingorcircuitattorney,asspecifiedinthebill.The
prosecutingorcircuitattorneyhas10businessdaystorespondand
mayprovideanyrelevantinformation. TheCommitteehas10
businessdaystoreviewallinformationandanydatamaintainedby
MOPS.TheCommittee,byavoteoffourormore,maydeterminethat
thereisathreattopublicsafetyorhealthwithinthe
jurisdictionandtheprosecutingorcircuitattorney'sprofessional
actsoromissionshavecreatedorsubstantiallycontributedtothe
threattopublicsafetyorhealth.
Ifadeterminationismade,theCommittee,byavoteofthreeor
moremembers,shall: (1)ImmediatelyrequesttheGovernortoappointaspecial
prosecutingorcircuitattorneytoprosecutespecifiedcriminal
offenses;or
(2)Immediatelymakerecommendations totheprosecutingorcircuit
attorneyforremediationwithatimelineforimplementation anda
reviewdatewithinsixmonthsoftherecommendation.
IftheCommitteemakesrecommendations forremediation,the
Committeeshallassesstheeffectivenessoftheremediationatthe
conclusionofthesixmonthperiod.IftheCommitteedeterminesby
avoteofthreeofmoremembersthatthereisnolongerathreatto
publicsafetyorhealthorthattheprosecutingorcircuit
attorney'sprofessionalactsoromissionsarenotcreatingor
substantiallycontributingtoathreattopublicsafetyorhealth,
theCommitteeshallissueafindingassuchandthefindingwillbe
anopenrecord.
IftheCommitteefindsbyavoteofthreeormoremembersthat
thereisathreattopublicsafetyorhealthandthatthe
prosecutingorcircuitattorney'sprofessionalactsoromissions
arecreatingorsubstantiallycontributingtothethreattopublic
safetyorhealth,theCommitteeshallimmediatelyrequestthe
Governortoappointaspecialprosecutingattorneytoprosecute
specifiedcriminaloffensesandthisfindingwillbeanopen
record.UpontherequestoftheCommittee,theGovernormay
appointaspecialprosecutingattorneytoserveforaspecified
termthatdoesnottoexceedthetermofthecurrentelected
prosecutingorcircuitattorney. Thespecialprosecutingattorney
willhaveexclusivejurisdictiontoinitiateandprosecutefelony
offensesthatincludemurder,assault,rape,sodomy,robbery,
vehiclehijacking,andarmedcriminalaction,asspecifiedinthe
bill.
Ifaspecialprosecutingattorneyfilescriminalchargestheywill
alsohaveexclusivejurisdictionoveranyotherchargesstemming
fromthesamecriminalevent.Iftheprosecutingorcircuit
attorneyhascommencedprosecutionpriortotheappointmentofthe
specialprosecutingattorneytheyshallimmediatelywithdrawfrom
theprosecutionandthespecialprosecutingattorneymayadoptor
amendanycomplaint,information,orindictmentfiledbythe
prosecutingorcircuitattorney.
Moneysforthespecialprosecutingattorneywillbeprovidedfrom
theGeneralRevenueFund.Thespecialprosecutingattorneywillbe
paidthesamesalaryasanassociatecircuitcourtjudgeand,upon
appointment,becomeamemberoftheProsecutingAttorneysand
CircuitAttorneys'RetirementSystem.Thespecialprosecuting
attorney'sprovidedbudgetwillincludefundstohireupto15 assistantspecialprosecutingattorneysandupto15staffmembers
andthesalariesofallemployeeshiredbythespecialprosecuting
attorneyaredeterminedbythespecialprosecutingattorneybut
mustbewithinthebudgetprovidedbytheState.
Sixmonthspriortotheendofthespecialprosecutingattorney's
termtheCommitteewillmeetanddeterminebyavoteofthreeor
morevotes:
(a)Whetherathreattopublicsafetyorhealthexists;and
(b)Whetherthecurrentprosecutingorcircuitattorney's
professionalactsoromissionsarecreatingorsubstantially
contributingtothethreattopublicsafetyorhealth.
IftheCommitteefindsthatathreattopublicsafetyorhealth
existsandthecurrentprosecutingorcircuitattorneyisthecause
ofthethreattheCommitteewillrequesttheGovernortoreappoint
thespecialprosecutingattorneyortoappointanotherspecial
prosecutingattorney. TheCommitteemayrecommendthatthe
Governorappointthespecialprosecutingattorneyforuptofive
years.
ThisbillrequiresMOPStoproduceastatewidereportbasedondata
fromanapprovedautomatedcasemanagementsystembeginningMarch
31,2028andannuallythereafter. Thereportwillcovervarious
aspectsincludingthetotalnumberoffelonies,misdemeanors,and
infractionsreceivedandprocessedbyProsecutingandCircuit
Attorneyoffices,aswellasspecificdetailssuchasthenumberof
referrals,casesfiled,refused,disposed,andunderreview.It
alsomandatesthereportingofdataonchargesbystatutenumber
andchargecode.Thesereportsareconsideredpublicrecords,but
individualdatafromeachofficeisconfidentialandnotsubjectto
releaseunderSection610.100(arrestandincidentrecords).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillisaboutkeepingpublic
safetyattheforefront. Intheory,prosecutionshouldbe
consistentwhetheracrimeiscommittedinSaintLouisorKansas
CityorsomewhereelseintheState.However,inpractice,thisis
notthecase.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Hicks;
DarrellL.Moore,MissouriAssociationofProsecutingAttorney;Mo
OfficeofProsecutionServices;JamesHarris,CiceroAction,
OpportunitySolutionsProject. OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthelegislature
shouldrespectthevoteofthelocalpeoplewhochoosetheir
prosecutor.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwasSharonGeueaJones,Mo
StateConferenceoftheNAACP.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.