From the Bench

By Circuit Judge R. Brent Elliott

Articles of the last few months focused on recent Legislative changes to felonies.  This month we will shift to Legislative changes to misdemeanors.

The current classification and penalties for misdemeanors are:

• Class A misdemeanors; punishable by up to one year in the county jail and/or a fine up to $1.000, and
• Class B misdemeanors; punishable by up to six months in the county jail and/or a fine up to $500, and
• Class C misdemeanors; punishable by up to 15 days in the county jail and/or a fine up to $300, and
• Infractions are punishable by a fine of up to $200.

Effective January 1, 2017, classifications and penalties for misdemeanors will be:

• Class A misdemeanors; punishable by up to one year in the county jail, and/or a fine up to $2.000, and
• Class B misdemeanors; punishable by up to six months in the county jail, and/or a fine up to $1,000, and
• Class C misdemeanors; punishable by up to 15 days in the county jail and/or a fine up to $750, and
• Class D misdemeanors; a fine up to $500, and
• Infractions; a fine up to $400.

Look for the next “From the Bench” where we will discuss other changes to Missouri’s Criminal Code.

Personal Note: I sadly note the August passing of a political icon. When he retired in 2010, DeKalb County’s Dick Lippold had served as a commissioner for over 36 years (longest in Missouri history).  In his 84 years, he never lost an election of any kind – remarkable.

Editor’s Note: Circuit Judge R. Brent Elliott’s “From the Bench” is a series of articles designed to provide the public with a better understanding of the judicial system and changes in the law. No explanation or example utilized herein should in any way be interpreted as reflecting an opinion, approval, or disapproval of any law. A Circuit Judge’s job is to fairly and impartially apply the law, not change it.