Gov. Jay Nixon called for lawmakers to impose stricter penalties on driving-while-intoxicated offenders during a statewide tour on Wednesday, with stops in Hannibal, St. Louis County and Cape Girardeau County.

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson DWI Gov. Jay Nixon Rachel Bringer

The House Judiciary chairman expects the House next year won’t give floor time to an amendment to change the Nonpartisan Court Plan. Rep. Bryan Stevenson expects the fight to shift instead to an initiative petition drive. For the past two ...

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson Jolie Justus Nonpartisan Court Plan Tim Flook

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bryan Stevenson says the only way to combat the country’s drug problem is to make the substances legal. “The answer ultimately is we have to legalize, regulate and tax the sale of marijuana, meth and crack ...

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson Chris Kelly House Judiciary Committee The Missouri Bar

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee told a roomful of lawyers that he expects the House next year won’t give floor time to an amendment to change the Nonpartisan Court Plan. Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Joplin, and other lawyer legislators ...

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson House Judiciary Committee Nonpartisan Court Plan

Supreme Court upholds bond requirement in child support case

The Missouri Supreme Court spent an 18-page opinion weighing the constitutionality of a statute that requires parents delinquent on their child support to post a bond before trying to modify a child custody decree. In the end, the high court ruled the statute is constitutional.

"The more we limit a judge's discretion to make decisions on a case by case basis, the bigger problems we create."

--Rep. Bryan Stevenson (pictured), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson Child Support Jay Nixon Missouri Supreme Court Patricia Breckenridge

When Mark Levison first became chairman of a special Missouri Bar committee on lawyer advertising in 2003, he had no desire for it to be a lifetime appointment. But it’s starting to feel that way. The Missouri Bar approved changes ...

Tagged with: advertising Alan Pratzel Bryan Stevenson Mark Levison Missouri Bar Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel

The House passed a wide-ranging judiciary bill on Wednesday that includes a controversial plan to convert drug court commissioners into associate circuit judges. But the bill’s sponsor says that provision will likely be taken out of the bill, as several ...

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson drug court commissioners Jeff Smith Jolie Justus Matt Bartle

The House has passed a wide-ranging judiciary bill that includes a controversial plan to convert drug court commissioners into associate circuit judges. But the bill's sponsor says that provision will likely be taken out of the bill, as several senators have warned the section would sink the entire legislative package. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bryan Stevenson's bill is essentially a collection of smaller bills that popped up throughout the year and have been attached to an "omnibus" - or overarching - bill.

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson drug court commissioners

The House has passed a wide-ranging judiciary bill that includes a controversial plan to convert drug court commissioners into associate circuit judges. But the bill’s sponsor says that provision will likely be taken out of the bill, as several senators ...

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson drug court commissioners

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he will scuttle a controversial plan to convert drug court commissioners into associate circuit judges. Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee’s Summit, said on Monday that a Senate draft of the legislation would remove ...

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson drug court commissioners Matt Bartle Missouri Bar Nonpartisan Court Plan

Legislation to get rid of some judicial positions and move others around is undergoing changes. When the measure passed the state House, it proposed converting probate and drug court commissioners statewide into associate circuit judges. (Read “Drug courts at risk” ...

Tagged with: Bryan Stevenson drug court commissioners Greene County John Burnett