A couple from St. Louis, Missouri, both lawyers, waved their guns at Black Lives Matter Protesters on June 28, 2020. After pleading guilty to the allegations, Missouri’s chief disciplinary counsel asks the Missouri Supreme Court to suspend the couple’s law licenses.
The couple is Mark and Patricia McCloskey. They confronted a group of primarily Black protesters who entered their gated community. The group was on their way to demonstrate in front of the home of the former St. Louis mayor, KRCU reported.
The chief disciplinary counsel, Alan D. Pratzel, filed with the court the request for the suspension of the law licenses and cited that Mark pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault, while Patricia pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment. After pleading guilty, Mark, running for the U.S. Senate, had to pay a fine of $750, while his wife had to pay $2,000. Pratzel added in the filing that both crimes showed indifference to public safety and involved moral turpitude. Hence, it is but proper to warrant the discipline of the couple.
Pratzel also attached some cases in Missouri where lawyers received disciplinary sanctions for crimes involving moral turpitude. Pratzel is asking the Missouri Supreme Court to suspend the licenses of the couple with no leave to reapply for reinstatement for six months.
The filing of Pratzel to the Missouri Supreme Court came after Missouri Governor Mike Parson pardoned the couple on July 30.
Pratzel said that despite the pardon, which erases a person’s conviction, “the person’s guilt remains.” According to Pratzel, despite pleading guilty, Mark was unrepentant.
Mark reportedly said, “The prosecutor dropped every charge except for alleging that I purposely placed other people in imminent risk of physical injury; right, and I sure as heck did. That’s what the guns were there for, and I’d do it again any time the mob approaches me, I’ll do what I can to place them in imminent threat of physical injury because that’s what kept them from destroying my house and my family.”
It is unclear when the Supreme Court will resolve the matter.
The McCloskeys have been practicing law since 1986 in their firm called McCloskey Law Center. They focus on cases related to personal injury, medical malpractice, and defective products.
