ST. LOUIS (KMOX/AP) - Monday morning was the first appearance in court by Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the lawyers who waved guns at protesters that were outside their St. Louis home in June. They are each facing one felony charge of unlawful use of a weapon, which has gotten the attention of Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, President Donald Trump and others.
"We are simply anxious to remove all the noise from this case, move the case forward, and have the facts heard by a jury and let the jury decide whether or not the McCloskeys committed any felony offenses because we are convinced with absolute certainty that there was no felony committed here," Schwartz said.
The hearing reportedly a routine docket-setting session that lasted only a few minutes.
Missouri law allows homeowners to use force, even lethal force, to defend their homes. The McCloskeys drew support from President Donald Trump, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and other leading Republicans.
Several hundred demonstrators on June 28 veered onto the private street where the McCloskey’s Renaissance palazzo-style mansion sits. The McCloskeys said the protesters knocked down an iron gate and ignored a “No Trespassing” sign. Protest leaders said the gate was open and the demonstration was peaceful.
Mark McCloskey came out with a semi-automatic rifle and his wife emerged with a semi-automatic handgun. No shots were fired. Missouri law allows homeowners to use force, even lethal force, to defend their homes.
Gardner said the guns created the risk of bloodshed. A police probable cause statement said protesters feared “being injured due to Patricia McCloskey’s finger being on the trigger, coupled with her excited demeanor.”
The McCloskeys contend the protest was anything but peaceful.
"Not a single person in the out-of-control mob you saw at our house was charged with a crime," Mark McCloskey said. "But you know who was? We were. They’ve actually charged us with a felony for daring to defend our home."