Missouri Senate Passes Bill to Keep Some Non-Violent Offenders from Prison

By Chad Garrison Fri., Apr. 16 2010 at 8:18 AM

Perhaps senator Matt Bartle (R - Kansas City) is attempting to redeem himself after being voted "Ass Clown of the Week" back in February.

Back then Daily RFT readers didn't care much for Bartle's bill to outlaw nudity at Missouri strip clubs. That said, I would venture to guess that most our readers would support Bartle's SB1014, a bill passed by the Senate yesterday that would curb prison sentencing for non-violent offenders.

Bartle's bill looks to save the state about $26 million a year by requiring that people convicted for the first time of drug possession and other alcohol offenses not be sentenced to prison, but instead be required to attend drug court, placed on parole or serve time in county jails.

The bill also requires certain Class D felons, such as those convicted of passing bad checks and other fraud, to have two prior convictions before being sentenced to state prisons.

Bartle filed his bill back in February after the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court William Ray Price berated legislators about laws requiring non-violent offenders to serve prison terms.

Tags:

criminal sentencing, drugs, Matt Bartle, Missouri, prison, SB1014

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twoolery

My husband was sentence to 6 years on a Class C felony for a nonviolent crime. The judge ordered a SAR report it was reccomended a max sentence of 3 years. This was judge Rolf in Lexington, Mo. My husband for several months passed there UA tests and hair folicle tests. He was innocent and it was proved. Judge Rolf threw away the eveidence because he said he didnt like my husbands attitude when he didnt have an attitude. Then judge Rolf sentenced him to 6 years because he didnt like him. You tell me what kind of honest judge would do that. Judge Rolf is not an honest judge as he said in one of his statements to the media. Do we really wnat this kind of judge in the system. Come to find out after the sentencing our attorney Kelly Rose was also a judge in Lexington, Mo. This was not told to us prior to hiring her. My husband was railroaded by these to judges. No one really has any rites these days. This is the reason our prisons are overpopulated. My husband and I were married June 3, 2011 he was sentenced to prison July 6, 2011. We cant even have a life together because of this neglegeance of these Missouri Judges being dishonest. My husband has a rite to his freedom. He is innocent