Prosecutor Recalls Busy Year Of Changes
McDonald County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Dobbs reported he has had a busy year.
“The role of the prosecutor is very broad,” he said. Not only does the prosecutor handle the coordination and prosecution of legal cases, but he also serves as legal representation for all office holders and the County Commission and also meets with citizens who may have general legal questions who are seeking basic guidance.
“So the term ‘county attorney’ really means ‘county attorney,’” he said.
“Our office files a total of about 3,000 criminal cases a year, including traffic, misdemeanors and all classes of felonies. We’ve had a busy year. We’ve either taken to trial or had guilty pleas in four murder cases. Our case load continues to grow. I believe that’s because of aggressive prosecution. We have good cooperation with the various law enforcement agencies within the county. We resolve a huge amount of cases so we constantly have cases opening and closing.
“One thing we’ve had to adjust to was a complete revamping of the criminal code,” he said, which amounts to a book full of criminal charges his staff had to relearn.
“That was a very steep learning curve,” he said. “The law constantly changes, and we have to stay abreast of those changes.”
He said there was a decision made by the Missouri Supreme Court that retroactively eliminated all felony stealing. So old cases had to be dealt with. If a person was under probation for felony stealing, that had to be set aside, and if they were in prison, they had to be released, he said.
“The law is constantly changing. We’re affected by that on almost a daily basis. We have to stay abreast of that so that our convictions are assured,” he said.
“The law is constantly changing. We’re affected by that on almost a daily basis. We have to stay abreast of that so that our convictions are assured,” he said.
Assistant prosecutor Maleia Cheney is a Kansas University graduate and has worked with Dobbs for eight years in McDonald and Newton counties. She lives in Anderson.
Senior Clerk Sheri Carpenter has worked with Dobbs for 17 years. She is responsible for preparing charging documents and filing them with the court. She also answers all legal discovery and prepares and executes writs.
Checks and Restitution Clerk Kim Pa lives in Anderson. She is responsible for filing of check charges and collection of restitution. The office collects and distributes in excess of $100,000 per year to victims, Dobbs said. Pa has been working with Dobbs for two and a half years.
Investigator David McEntire is responsible for follow up and supplementing criminal investigations submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office. He assists in trial prep, witness interviews and evidence collection. He has been with the office for about six months and is a former McDonald County deputy sheriff and remains a commission law-enforcement officer.
Victims Advocate Dana Banta has been working with the office 13 years. She is instrumental in assisting victims of domestic violence and seeking orders of protection. She also serves as direct liaison of the office with victims. She lives outside Anderson.
Dobbs has been prosecutor since Jan. 1, 2015, but has served more than 17 years because before coming here he was senior assistant prosecutor in Newton County. He lives outside Noel with his wife, Karen.
“I think the strength of this office is our compassion toward victims,” he said, “and our knowledge and skill in the art of prosecution.”