Cole County Circuit Court Judge Richard Callahan has struck down on equal protection grounds a Missouri statute that bars those with federal felony or misdemeanor convictions from running for office. The law allows those with state convictions to hold such offices.
The judge said federal crimes are not always more serious than state crimes, noting federal misdemeanors include “introducing into interstate commerce a residential refrigerator which cannot be opened from the inside” and trespassing on federal land.
The plaintiff in the case, Henry Rizzo, a member of the Jackson County legislature and former state House member from Kansas City, claims the legislation was payback for political disagreements he had with state Sen. Victor Callahan, an Independence Democrat. If this is not the case, one wonders why Callahan’s bill dealt only with federal and not state convictions.
Sen. Callahan says he will amend the law to include state convictions. This is bad news for Chief Wana Dubie.
