An article was published, surprisingly, in the Kansas City Star that damns Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Chris Koster. Koster for current and potential acts as Missouri’s Attorney General, and Nixon when he held the same post.
The case in question, is about a murder trial. A woman was murdered in her home in November 1990. The Sheriff was incompetent. Instead of investigating, as he was required, he allowed a private investigator, hired by the victim’s family, to be the investigator.
Major error #1. The PI concocted a scenario that fit—blame a neighbor who didn’t have an alibi because he was home asleep. The PI also ignored other avenues of investigation. The local prosecutor declined to file charges.
That’s where Jay Nixon stepped in. He needed a win. His reputation was in tatters and he wanted to run for Governor. He assigned an assistant AG to prosecute the case. That AG, Kenny Hulshof, withheld information from the Court and from the defense attorney. Those acts, hiding evidence, was illegal and prejudicial. The defendant, Mark Woodworth, was convicted.
During the trial review, some of the errors were noted and a new trial was ordered. Another assistant AG prosecuted and withheld still more evidence in the second trial. The Woodworth was convicted again.
But the friends and family of Woodworth didn’t give up. They fought and acquired another judicial review. In 2010, Boone County Judge Gary Oxenhandler was tasked with that review.
Oxenhandler said he was convinced that had the investigation and prosecutions been handled properly, “no jury would have convicted Woodworth of the crimes charged.” — KC Star.
The Supreme Court set aside Woodworth’s conviction.
At this point, Chris Koster enters the scene. He vowed to try Woodworth again. Never let it be said that Koster let an opportunity to allow an injustice pass him by.
On a change of venue, the Judge reviewed the case. In his order, returning the case to the Livingston County prosecutor, the judge said, “Given the history of this case, at this point in time there is absolutely no reason the office of attorney general should prosecute this case.” His other comments included the phrases, “a manifold injustice,” and, “the concept of ‘due process of law’ took flight.“
… in a stunning rebuke to some of Missouri’s most powerful politicians, Platte County Judge Owens Lee Hull Jr. has ordered the state attorney general’s office off the case. — KC Star.
Now, Koster has lost his opportunity to continue this example of governmental malfeasance. In all this, besides Nixon and Koster, is another well known name. The initial prosecutor against Woodworth, was Kenny Hulshof, who later was elected to the US House.
The final word in this travesty of justice comes from the article in the Kansas City Star.
As is usually the case, those who mismanage criminal justice meet with few consequences. Nixon spent 16 years as attorney general and moved up to governor. Hulshof served 12 years in the U.S. Congress. Courts have raised serious questions about his handling of several cases during Hulshof’s time as Nixon’s assistant in the attorney general’s office.
Now Koster, another attorney general with big political ambitions, has held a third trial over the head of a man who already has been subjected to two unjust prosecutions and years of lost freedom. — KC Star.
You can read the entire article, here, as reported by Barbara Shelly. Woodworth is currently out of prison, on bond, waiting for the Livingston County prosecutor’s decision whether a third trial is warranted.
When you have democrats in offices of authority, examples of malfeasance seems to be the norm. Democrat Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley, mimics the policies of Koster. She has refused to investigate and prosecute clear cases of malfeasance in the Cass County Clerk’s and Collectors offices—violations of the State nepotism statues and possible fraudulent payments to close relatives.
Hensley went so far, in one case, to have the AG research for any excuse to not prosecute. They came up with one that insiders in Jeff City agree was not applicable. However, Hensley seized the excuse and ran with it.
In the case of the County Clerk, a democrat associate Circuit Judge, who has since left office, declared the Clerk could not be charged for violations that had occurred during a previous term. When proof was provided to Hensley that acts also occurred during the Clerk’s current term, Hensley refused to acknowledge the evidence and has refused to act.
Democrats protecting corrupt democrat office holders.
Wherever democrat politicians are involved, you can be assured, whatever is being done, will not be hindered by law. Lawlessness is the motto of the democrat party from the lowest level of local government, to the county, state and federal governments.
When government is lawless, why should anyone obey the law?
