Missouri Court of Appeals

In June, a judge overturned Hemme’s conviction for the 1980 murder of a librarian from St. Joseph, Missouri. After five months of legal battles, the same judge signed the final order granting her freedom.

For the first time in more than four decades, Sandra Hemme may get to spend Thanksgiving with her family — not in prison. Hemme was wrongly convicted of murdering a St. Joseph librarian in 1980, but a Missouri judge overturned the charges this year.

A Missouri appeals court ruled last week that the constitution’s “plain, unambiguous” language means cities and counties cannot stack marijuana sales taxes. Here's why that could mean cheaper cannabis in Kansas City.

The Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District determined that counties don't have authority as a local government to impose an additional sales tax on recreational marijuana. In one case, cannabis customers paid a total sales tax of nearly 21%.

Both states have a non-partisan merit selection system where voters decide whether or not to keep a judge in office through regular retention elections. This year, a multitude of judges — including two on the Missouri Supreme Court — are up for retention on the 2024 ballot.

The Missouri Court of Appeals Tuesday rejected all arguments from state Attorney General Andrew Bailey to return Hemme to prison. Hemme served 43 years in prison — more time than any other wrongly convicted woman in the U.S.

The Missouri Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Wednesday in the innocence case of Sandra Hemme, who served 43 years in prison — more time than any other wrongly convicted woman in the U.S.

A circuit court in May ruled that both a county and a local municipality can impose a 3% sales tax at dispensaries in their jurisdictions. That's led to marijuana sales tax rates of nearly 18% in some places.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey fought for nearly a month to keep Hemme behind bars, after her 1980 murder conviction was overturned in June. Almost from the moment she walked out of prison, she has been with her father in the hospital.

In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that the Blue Springs School District discriminated against the student, identified by his initials R.M.A., on the basis of sex when it barred him from using the boys’ locker room.

Former Kansas City Police detective Eric DeValkenaere asked to be released from jail while he appeals his manslaughter conviction in the 2021 fatal shooting of Cameron Lamb. DeValkenaere was transferred to prison Wednesday.

Former Kansas City Police detective Eric DeValkenaere surrendered to Platte County Sheriff's officials Tuesday after a Missouri appeals court panel affirmed his 2021 conviction for second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Cameron Lamb. It's the first case of a Kansas City officer being found guilty of killing a Black man while on duty.