I’m just a layman, but since our court systems are publicly funded, they should be trusted to administer justice without bowing to political pressure. I invite the media, or the public, to follow this legal saga (Circuit Case No. 2316-CV33813 and Appellate Case No. WD87380) … involving a KC Judge of the 16th Circuit Court and to- tell me where I’m wrong… .

1. Lucas tried (unsuccessfully) to take me to court over the city’s false accusations. Judge Martina Peterson ruled that I did nothing wrong. I sued Lucas & City.

2. Lucas did not like Judge Harrell being appointed to the case by the court and asked for a new judge.

3. The new judge, Judge Sarah Castle, ruled that I had a legitimate legal case against Lucas for “falsely arresting and imprisoning” me at City Hall on council day and set the case for trial.

4. Stunned and scared of the political fallout, Lucas filed a flurry of legal motions protesting Judge Castle’s courageous ruling.

o. Lucas filed a writ of prohibition in the Court of Appeals to vacate Castle’s ruling on its sovereign immunity argument. The Court of Appeal gave Judge Castle a notice to respond by August 16. Here things have changed. Judge Castle refused to answer and defend her decision to the Court of Appeal.

b. In the meantime, Mayor Lucas filed a Motion for Summary Judgment in Castle’s Court to again attempt to dismiss my case with a res judicata.

In a stunning reversal, Judge Castle ruled in favor of Lucas, citing a (simple) procedural error on my part. As a “pro se” litigant, Judge Castle should have done the right thing and granted me leave to amend my case (pro se arguments will be “liberally construed to accomplish their purpose”) so so that they can then decide on the merits of Lucas’s Motion. She didn’t.

In response to this unfair ruling, I filed a Motion for Reconsideration (which included my amended document that corrected the error). Again (as he did with the Court of Appeal), Judge Castle refused to answer.

I have since appealed to the Missouri Western District Court of Appeals.

When judges hide behind their clothes, do not answer and act in a confused manner that people cannot understand, it only attracts suspicion from people.

Activist KC, Clay Chastain

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Under development. . .