JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (News First) – Several new public safety laws have recently gone into effect in Missouri.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, warrants for traffic violations will no longer be issued. Instead, the court will issue notices of failure to respond notices.
There is a change in the definition of endangering the welfare of a child in the 1st degree. A section is added to the current law stating a person commits the offense of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree if he or she knowingly encourages, aids or causes a child less than seventeen years of age to engage in any conduct which violates the provisions of chapter 571 or 579.
The new Blair’s Law creates the offense of unlawful discharge of a firearm if he or she recklessly discharges a firearm within or into the limits of any municipality. A person who commits the offense of unlawful discharge of a firearm shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor for a first offense, a class E felony for a second offense, and a class D felony for a third or subsequent offense.
The new Valentine’s Law creates the offense of aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle. A person commits this offense if he or she knows or reasonably should know that a law enforcement officer is attempting to detain or stop a motor vehicle and to prevent the officer from effecting the stop or detention, he or she flees and:
One such person operates a motor vehicle at a high speed or in any manner which creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death to any person, a class D felony or 2…or as a result of such flight causes physical injury to another person which would be a class B felony and 3 or as a result of such flight causes death to another person which is a class A felony.
Max’s Law creates the offense of assault on a law enforcement animal. A person commits this offense if he or she knowingly attempts to kill or disable or knowingly causes or attempts to cause serious physical injury to a law enforcement animal when that animal is involved in a law enforcement investigation, apprehension, tracking, or search, or the animal is in the custody of or under the control of a law enforcement officer, department of corrections officer, municipal police department, fire department or a rescue unit or agency. It would be a class A misdemeanor if the law enforcement animal is not injured to the point of requiring veterinary care or treatment. It’s a class E felony if the animal is seriously injured to the point of requiring vet care or treatment and it’s a class D felony if the assault kills the animal.
There are also two new charges related to controlled substances.
One is DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CAUSING SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY. A person commits this offense if a person delivers or distributes a controlled substance knowing the substance is mixed with another controlled substance where serious physical injury results from the use of that substance. That’s now a class C felony. The final new state law related to public safety is DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CAUSING DEATH. A person commits this offense if the person delivers or distributes a controlled substance knowing it is mixed with another substance and a death results from the use of that substance. That is now a class A felony.
