The Missouri attorney general's office is reviewing a recent state Supreme Court ruling that may impact the criminal charge of felony stealing.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Missouri Supreme Court cited contradictory language in state criminal code when ruling this week in a case where a woman was convicted of stealing firearms, jewelry and other items.
A statute allows the state to enhance the stealing of items or services of a certain value to a felony charge if the value of the item is an element in the offense. The court ruled that because the law defining stealing doesn't include the value of property stolen as an element of the offense, prosecutors couldn't charge the woman with felony stealing.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce's spokeswoman says Joyce is studying the ruling's implications.
