• Home
  • News
    • Business
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Legislature
    • Politics / Govt
  • Sports
    • The Bill Pollock Show
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Missourinet

Your source for Missouri News and Sports

You are here: Home / Business / Missouri AG Hawley: “Violence is not protected by the First Amendment”

Missouri AG Hawley: “Violence is not protected by the First Amendment”

September 19, 2017 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Attorney General wants anti-rioting laws to be enforced, after this weekend’s vandalism across the St. Louis region.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley (left) testifies before a Missouri House committee in February 2017 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at Missouri House Communications)

The vandalism began Friday, after the Jason Stockley verdict.

Attorney General Josh Hawley (R) has written a letter to Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, saying that he is “committed to upholding the constitutional rights of all Missourians, including the fundamental rights of peaceful protesters to engage in free speech and peaceable assembly. However, no person has the right to engage in violence or crime.”

Hawley tells Missourinet he’s offered all available resources to Prosecutor Gardner’s office.

“Missouri has laws against rioting, against vandalism, against assaulting police officers and those laws need to be enforced,” Hawley says. “And local prosecutors, local officials have the responsibility to enforce the law.”

Hawley says citizens who demonstrate peacefully must be protected, adding that vandals and looters must be prosecuted.

“Violence is not protected by the First Amendment,” says Hawley. “Violence is not a form of protest. That’s a crime and so we need to be crystal clear on that and then those who commit criminal acts need to be prosecuted.”

Gardner’s office has not responded yet to Missourinet’s inquiry of whether they plan to seek Hawley’s assistance.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson found Stockley not guilty on Friday of first degree murder and armed criminal action, for the December 2011 shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith during a police chase.

Meantime, St. Louis Police say they made 123 arrests on Sunday.

St. Louis Police say demonstrators gathered outside the St. Louis City Justice Center on Monday evening. The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reports there were about 1,000 protesters at the jail on Monday night.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is assisting St. Louis Police, after the Stockley verdict. Highway Patrol Captain John Hotz tells Missourinet the Patrol is charged with protecting interstates and keeping them open.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Business, Crime / Courts, News, Politics / Govt

Subscribe to our daily newsletter


Tweets by Missourinet

Sports

Mizzou to face LSU on March 6 at home

The … [Read More...]

Mizzou could really use the help of getting Texas A & M rescheduled (PODCAST)

Thanks for … [Read More...]

Blues drop third straight with loss to Kings

The St. … [Read More...]

Missouri State Lady Bears are MVC regular season champions

The … [Read More...]

Mizzou hires defensive back coach

Mizzou … [Read More...]

More Sports

Tweets by missourisports

Archives

Opinion/Editorials

TwitterFacebook

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC