It’s 2026, and welcome back to “Opening Statement,” an opportunity to stay informed about the criminal justice system and how the Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office handles crime, accountability and justice issues for our citizens.

In 2025, our office reviewed about 1400 reports from local law enforcement, which includes about 1075 misdemeanors and 325 felony incidents. This does not include traffic cases, which were at least an additional 400 tickets. Also, this does not include our work in other counties as Special Prosecuting Attorney. I review each of these case reports carefully before filing to make sure we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt based on the available evidence I have at the time of filing. Laboratory analysis for blood, drugs, firearms, fingerprints and DNA takes time to complete and may sometimes delay filing.

These crime report numbers, and our filing numbers, are stable to slightly down from 2024 and 2023’s numbers. This is a good thing! Our community’s law enforcement officers are proactive and present in the community in Mexico and throughout Audrain County, protecting and serving with honor and integrity. From our schools to our highways, on the internet and at businesses, law enforcement makes our community safer, stronger and better when we protect individual rights for citizens, families, kids and the vulnerable. Of course, criminal cases and investigations are not all of the things law enforcement do in a day.

Reported crimes can be declined for prosecution by my office. Often, this is because a crime can’t be proven beyond a reasonable doubt after a review of all evidence. Other times, the defendant is incarcerated on other charges – in a recent case, I declined to file a speeding ticket on a defendant in the Missouri Department of Corrections because he was arrested on the speeding ticket, but revoked on his parole. It didn’t make sense to add a traffic ticket prosecution to a prison sentence he was already enduring. As prosecutor, I make decisions on use of resources in all reported crimes, even when evidence of guilt is clear or admitted, to balance accountability, punishment, victim perspectives, the law, and justice.

With two assistant prosecuting attorneys, Shelby Park and Jordan Duenckel, helping me review, file, prosecute and try these cases, we’re quite busy. A typical week involves the three of us being in Court on multiple dockets a majority of days in the week: Judge Young holds Associate Division Court on Tuesday and Thursdays in Audrain County, and we have Circuit Judge Scheibe in Audrain County often, as well as the three other Associate Circuit Judges from our Audrain-Montgomery-Warren County 12th Judicial Circuit appearing for several other dockets. That doesn’t count the times the Judges are here for Civil dockets, including our occasional appearances on those dockets.

2025 saw a slight decrease in domestic assault cases. There were 85 reported domestic assault incidents referred for prosecution, with 36 of those incidents being felonies: involving injury or a weapon in the assault on a family or household member. In DWI cases, those numbers were also down slightly. Trespass, stealing and property damage cases were up. These quality of life crimes affect our safety, trust in our neighbors, and those property rights we have as citizens when others take things that are not their own, when they enter where they cannot or should not be, and when property is damaged, vandalized or destroyed. The offenders who commit these crimes must be held accountable, too – by paying for the damages, performing community service or completing rehabilitation services in the community. If they don’t repair the damage, or try to fix it – under the law the punishments are jail or a fine. Offenders are often placed on probation: if you do X, Y, or Z conditions, you will not have to serve a jail sentence. Ultimately, though, defendants find the natural consequences of their actions determine what the punishment will be.

Looking Ahead to 2026 – Protect the Vulnerable

2026 will be a year requiring engaged, informed and involved citizens as the United States approaches its 250th birthday. It takes courage to do the right things as citizens: to ask for help in an emergency or a dangerous situation, to speak the truth, including to appear in court to testify or cooperate with an investigation, and to report those who break our laws. Missouri law specifically requires a long list of community members with an obligation to report abuse or neglect of children: teachers, counselors, administrators, medical personnel, pastors, crisis workers, day care and paraprofessionals, child protection and juvenile officers, and anyone with a responsibility to protect children. They must report, via calling the State Abuse and Neglect Hotline or its online tool, if they have a reason to believe or if a child is in a situation that reasonably could result in abuse or neglect, immediately. Failure to report abuse or neglect of a child or student is a crime. A violation of this vital child protection safety net – those who observe signs of abuse or neglect in children – enables abuse, excuses neglect and makes it harder to hold those who hurt children accountable. The requirement specifically says that no internal investigation shall be initiated until a report is made – a hotline must come first.

When abusers are able to exploit, abuse or neglect children, and those who have a duty to protect children choose not to do so – we are telling abusers that our safeguards for children are only as strong as the next person willing to ignore them. Families who trust their children to others – schools, day cares, sports programs – must trust that those institutions will protect their children first, not the institutions, their employees, or their reputations first. Our office has before, and will again, prosecute those who have a duty to protect and fail to do so in 2026.

It was a busy year in 2025 for many reasons. Our office is dedicated to seeking justice for all citizens of Audrain County, and is committed to working with law enforcement to keep our County a safe place to live, work, own a business, and raise a family. Best wishes for a safe, productive and prosperous 2026!