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Candidates for attorney general
Michael Gibbons
Occupation
Missouri Senate president pro tem,
5th District; practices law at Stinson, Morrison, Hecker in St. Louis
Education
Bachelor of Arts from Westminster College in 1981; Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law in 1984
Previous
offices held
Elected to Kirkwood City Council in 1986; Missouri House of Representatives, 1992-2000; Missouri Senate, 2000-present
Internet crime
Internet crime is a dangerous frontier that would get its deserved attention if he was elected, Gibbons said at a candidate debate on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus on Sept. 11. Gibbons said, “People are using the Internet as a weapon.” He pledged to implement a cyber crimes task force in the attorney general’s office to assist areas in the state that did not already benefit from regional task forces because of cost issues.
Drug enforcement
Meth busts in Missouri are the highest in the nation, which shows the state is struggling with a large problem, he said. Gibbons would implement an electronic log system that would prevent people from purchasing pseudoephedrine, a needed ingredient for meth, at multiple stores.
Victims advocate
Gibbons said in no scenario should a rape victim feel uncomfortable coming forward with information to authorities. In some areas, victims are asked to pay for the rape kit used to collect evidence from the victim and are sometimes asked to take a lie detector test, both of which Gibbons said were unneeded.
Did you know?
Gibbons was dubbed the Missouri
Sheriffs’ Association “Missouri Senator of the Year” in August.
Chris Koster
Occupation
Missouri Senate, 31st District;
practices law with the Law Firm
of Tim Dollar in Kansas City
Education
Liberal arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia; law degree from Missouri’s School of Law; master’s in business administration from Washington University-St. Louis
Previous offices held
Prosecuting attorney of Cass County, 1994-2004; Missouri Senate, 2004-present
Experience
Koster leaned on his law enforcement experience most at a candidate debate on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus on Sept. 11. Koster touted his 10 years as prosecuting attorney of Cass County and as an assistant attorney general for two years before that. “I’ve been out of school for 16 years, and I’ve carried a badge for 12 of those years,” he said.
Drug enforcement
In February, Koster introduced Senate Bill 1063, which would create the
Missouri Methamphetamine Project. He said the project calls for “high impact” advertisements against use of the drug, like those made famous in
Montana. The project would also increase minimum sentences for meth manufacturers.
Evidence preservation
The state needs to do a better job when preserving evidence from Internet crimes that would be used for prosecution purposes, which can be a year after the evidence’s seizure, he said.
Did you know?
On Aug. 1, 2007, Koster, then a
Republican, left the party and became a Democrat. He said the GOP was moving in a direction he disliked. “I’m proud of the decision I made,” he said.
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Occupation
Missouri Senate president pro tem,
5th District; practices law at Stinson, Morrison, Hecker in St. Louis
Education
Bachelor of Arts from Westminster College in 1981; Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law in 1984
Previous
offices held
Elected to Kirkwood City Council in 1986; Missouri House of Representatives, 1992-2000; Missouri Senate, 2000-present
Internet crime
Internet crime is a dangerous frontier that would get its deserved attention if he was elected, Gibbons said at a candidate debate on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus on Sept. 11. Gibbons said, “People are using the Internet as a weapon.” He pledged to implement a cyber crimes task force in the attorney general’s office to assist areas in the state that did not already benefit from regional task forces because of cost issues.
Drug enforcement
Meth busts in Missouri are the highest in the nation, which shows the state is struggling with a large problem, he said. Gibbons would implement an electronic log system that would prevent people from purchasing pseudoephedrine, a needed ingredient for meth, at multiple stores.
Victims advocate
Gibbons said in no scenario should a rape victim feel uncomfortable coming forward with information to authorities. In some areas, victims are asked to pay for the rape kit used to collect evidence from the victim and are sometimes asked to take a lie detector test, both of which Gibbons said were unneeded.
Did you know?
Gibbons was dubbed the Missouri
Sheriffs’ Association “Missouri Senator of the Year” in August.
Chris Koster
Occupation
Missouri Senate, 31st District;
practices law with the Law Firm
of Tim Dollar in Kansas City
Education
Liberal arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia; law degree from Missouri’s School of Law; master’s in business administration from Washington University-St. Louis
Previous offices held
Prosecuting attorney of Cass County, 1994-2004; Missouri Senate, 2004-present
Experience
Koster leaned on his law enforcement experience most at a candidate debate on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus on Sept. 11. Koster touted his 10 years as prosecuting attorney of Cass County and as an assistant attorney general for two years before that. “I’ve been out of school for 16 years, and I’ve carried a badge for 12 of those years,” he said.
Drug enforcement
In February, Koster introduced Senate Bill 1063, which would create the
Missouri Methamphetamine Project. He said the project calls for “high impact” advertisements against use of the drug, like those made famous in
Montana. The project would also increase minimum sentences for meth manufacturers.
Evidence preservation
The state needs to do a better job when preserving evidence from Internet crimes that would be used for prosecution purposes, which can be a year after the evidence’s seizure, he said.
Did you know?
On Aug. 1, 2007, Koster, then a
Republican, left the party and became a Democrat. He said the GOP was moving in a direction he disliked. “I’m proud of the decision I made,” he said.