A Missouri county where trial dates 'don't mean anything,' and defendants wait years for justice
A Missouri county where trial dates 'don't mean anything,' and defendants wait years for justice
Metro columnist Tony Messenger recently covered various problems with the criminal justice system in Warren County. These are the columns:
(5) updates to this series since
Appointment of senior judges, and help from Missouri Office of Prosecution Services is helping.
Massive delays caused by prosecutor are affecting crime victims, woman says.Â
Rural Missouri court is so backed up that seven trials were scheduled for one day but none of them took place.Â
Clogged up court dockets in rural county near St. Louis leave defendants hanging with no justice for several years.Â
In rural Warren County, west of St. Louis, a clogged court system means serious problems for people facing charges and for public safety.Â
The girl didn’t tremble. She spoke with a strong and commanding voice. She owned the courtroom in Warren County. Justice was finally served.
Controversy stems from how Andrew Bailey handled prosecution of Kenneth Lee Simpson in 2017. Simpson is now charged with the murder in 2023 of a Hermann police officer.