HB 384 -- Crime

Sponsor:  Lipke

This bill changes the laws regarding crime.  In its main
provisions, the bill:

(1)  Removes the provision that requires the prosecuting attorney
to appear in behalf of the Director of the Department of Revenue
in circuit court cases or hearings reviewing administrative
decisions regarding alcohol-related traffic offenses;

(2)  Creates the crime of failure to appear if the person
knowingly fails to appear before any court or judicial officer as
required.  Failure to appear will be a class D felony if the
criminal matter for which the person was released included a
felony, a class A misdemeanor if the criminal matter includes a
misdemeanor, or an infraction if the criminal matter includes
only an infraction or a violation of a municipal ordinance;

(3)  Allows a change of venue petition to be ordered in any
criminal proceeding if the inhabitants of the county are
prejudiced against the defendant or the state has an undue
influence over the inhabitants of the county and specifies the
procedures for filing an application for a change of venue;

(4)  Specifies that any person who attempts to harbor or conceal
a person; attempts to warn the person; attempts to provide the
person with money, transportation, weapon, disguise, or other
means of aid; or attempts to prevent or obstruct anyone from
performing an act that might aid in the discovery or apprehension
of the person will be guilty of the crime of hindering
prosecution;

(5)  Expands the crime of tampering with physical evidence to
include attempts to alter, destroy, suppress, or conceal evidence
in any potential investigation that could result in an official
proceeding and specifies that tampering with physical evidence
will be a class D felony if the actor intends to impair or
obstruct the prosecution or defense of a felony;

(6)  Expands the crime of resisting or interfering with arrest,
detention, or stop to include arrests on warrants issued for
probation or parole warrants and arrests on capias warrants or
bench warrants issued by federal, state, or municipal judges.
Any person violating these provisions will be guilty of a class D
felony;

(7)  Expands the crime of tampering with a judicial proceeding to
include influencing the official action of a state prosecuting or
circuit attorney; and

(8)  Repeals provisions regarding owning a hedge fence situated
along the right-of-way of any public road and certain provisions
regarding the payment of costs in criminal cases.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:24 am