Criminal Law :  School Attendance Law –  Ambiguity –  Misdemeanor Charge

Where the state appealed the dismissal of a misdemeanor charge against a mother for violation of the compulsory school attendance law, the judgment is reversed and remanded because the plain language of the statute unambiguously criminalizes a parent’s failure to cause a child between the ages of seven and 16 to regularly attend school.

Judgment is reversed and remanded.

State v. Fanning (MLW No. 71909/Case No. WD81158 – 9 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, Hardwick, J.) Appealed from circuit court, Buchanan County, Marquart, J. (Joshua C. Bachman, St. Jospeh, for appellant) (Ellen H. Flottman, Columbia, for respondent).

Read the full text of this opinion. (PDF)