Missouri’s process for certifying juveniles as adults is unconstitutional and discriminates against African Americans, a public defender for a black 16-year-old boy told Missouri Supreme Court judges on Wednesday.
The Missouri Supreme Court extended legal protections Tuesday against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in separate cases dealing with employment rights of workers and access rights to public facilities by transgender students.
The chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court announced new rules Wednesday requiring judges to first consider non-monetary conditions for pretrial release, a shift aimed at reducing court costs that can sometimes derail the lives of low-income defendants.
The Missouri Supreme Court says a recent constitutional amendment allows prosecutors to present more evidence in child sex abuse cases, regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred.