Prosecution cites conflicting accounts in seeking dismissal

Ceremony to mark push for Civil War memorial

Organizers hope that today’s ceremony marking the 150th anniversary of a Civil War battle northwest of Joplin also will encourage support to finance a permanent memorial on the site.

Crime & Courts

Discussion

February 7, 2013

Prosecution cites conflicting accounts in seeking dismissal

news@joplinglobe.com The Joplin Globe Thu Feb 07, 2013, 11:41 PM CST

The Jasper County prosecutor’s office has dropped charges against a rural Carthage man pertaining to an injury accident June 12 of last year on Harmony Road, northwest of Gum Road.

Christopher D. Sloniker, 32, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday in Jasper County Circuit Court on felony counts of second-degree assault and leaving the scene of an injury accident. Assistant Prosecutor Jeremy Crowley instead asked that the charges be dismissed because of conflicting accounts of witnesses in the case.

A probable-cause affidavit alleged that Sloniker was driving in an intoxicated condition, and with a revoked license and no insurance, when he rolled a sport utility vehicle while driving recklessly on a gravel road. There were four children in the vehicle, and three were thrown from the SUV and injured, the affidavit alleged. The defendant was accused of then driving away in an effort to cover up the accident.

Text Only

Crime & Courts

Firefighters douse blaze inside wall; no injuries cited
The Joplin Fire Department used thermal-imaging equipment Wednesday night to detect a hidden fire inside a residence.

May 16, 2013
Exeter resident hurt in accident in Barry County
An Exeter resident was injured in a single-vehicle accident at 2:15 p.m. Thursday on Missouri Highway 76, two miles west of Exeter in Barry County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

May 16, 2013
Pittsburg couple arrested; children taken out of home
PITTSBURG, Kan. — A Pittsburg couple was arrested and their three children removed from their care Wednesday when narcotics officers allegedly seized marijuana, methamphetamine and other items in a search of their home.

May 16, 2013
Joplin man arrested on felony charge of past sexual abuse
A 16-year-old girl’s recent disclosures to her mother regarding past sexual abuse has led to the arrest and charging of a Joplin man.

May 16, 2013
Identity-theft victim jailed on culprit’s warrant
Kurt Millard spent most of last weekend in the Jasper County Jail, locked up on another man’s arrest warrant. The 26-year-old Joplin resident could not convince his jailers they had the wrong guy. “I got the run-around the whole weekend,” Millard told the Globe. “I didn’t even get to wish my mother a happy Mother’s Day.”

May 16, 2013
Attorney general files suit against California contractor
Attorney General Chris Koster on Thursday filed a lawsuit against a California man, alleging he failed to provide construction materials and home repair services that had been paid for by victims of the Joplin tornado.

May 16, 2013
Pierce City man hurt in accident in Barry County
A Pierce City man was injured in a single-vehicle accident at 7 a.m. Wednesday on Missouri Highway 248, two miles west of Jenkins in Barry County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

May 16, 2013
Woman to stand trial on felony count of child abuse
A rural Joplin woman waived her right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday on a felony count of child abuse related to the alleged bruising of her 12-year-old daughter’s buttocks and arms.

May 16, 2013
Fire destroys garage, two vehicles inside
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — A Tuesday night fire that destroyed a garage and two vehicles at an address south of Carl Junction may have had an electrical cause.

May 16, 2013
Worker hit in head with saw blade at construction site
A worker at a construction site in Webb City suffered a severe injury Wednesday when he was struck in the head by a blade from a power saw.

May 16, 2013
More Crime & Courts Headlines