MO Law Increasing Penalties for Witness and Victim Tampering Goes To House Monday

Legislation that increases penalties for witness and victim tampering will go to the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on Monday, after being approved by the Judiciary Committee on a 17-0 vote.

The measure is a key part of the governor’s special session call on violent crime.

The prosecutor in western Missouri’s Johnson County testifies for the bill, saying witness and victim tampering happens across the state.

That’s Johnson County Prosecutor Robert Russell, who serves as treasurer for the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. The Missouri Police Chiefs Association and the Missouri Sheriff’s Association also testified for the bill this week.

Cape Girardeau State Representative Barry Hovis, the bill sponsor, served as a law enforcement officer for more than 30 years.