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Ste. Genevieve County Government

Prosecuting Attorney

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Wayne Williams, Prosecuting Attorney
55 South Third Street, Room 7
Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670

Phone: (573) 883-2265, option 9
Fax: (573) 883-9636
Email (preferred contact method): office@stegenpa.com

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

A crime has occurred...

When a crime is reported, law enforcement agencies begin an investigation to determine what happened. Once their investigation is complete, they may submit their reports to the prosecuting attorney. The prosecuting attorney reviews these reports and decides whether to file criminal charges against an individual.

Criminal or Civil?

 

Many people are unsure about the difference between civil and criminal matters. Most disputes between individuals fall under civil law. If you are uncertain, you may contact law enforcement to help determine whether a situation is criminal or civil. If it is determined to be a civil matter, our office is unable to assist. You may choose to contact a civil attorney, or reach out to the Circuit Clerk's Office for additional information at (573) 883-2265, option 1, and ask to speak to the "civil side."

 

How to track a case

 

You can track a case by visiting Missouri Case.net

~To search by name click on “Litigant Name Search”.  Then find and click on “Ste. Genevieve County - 24th Judicial Circuit” under “Search for cases in”, enter the defendant’s first and last name, enter the year the charges were filed to narrow your search, then click “Find”.  The case will be given a “Case Number” within a few days of issuing the charges.

~To search by case number click on “Case Number Search”. Enter the case number in “Case Number” and then click find.

 

You may also request case tracking notifications to be sent directly to you via one or all of the following ways:

  • Register through MOVANS - by visiting Missouri Victim's Automated Notification System or by calling (866) 566-8267.
  • Register through Missouri Case.net. Following the instructions in the paragraph above, acquire the court case number. Once you click on the case number, go under "Case Header" and on the right-hand side of the screen select "Track This Case" and follow the prompts thereafter.
  • If the defendant is sentenced to serve time in the Missouri Department of Corrections, you may contact the Missouri Dept. of Corrections Victim Services to register for notifications of parole hearings, hearing results, release, escape or death. Register for these notifications by calling (573) 526-8267 or visiting MO Dept. of Corrections or the Missouri Victim Automated Notification System

Are you a victim who no longer wishes to pursue charges?

 

If you are the victim of a crime and no longer wish to pursue charges, you must provide our office with a notarized written statement explaining why you believe the charges should be dropped. Please note that even with a notarized statement, the prosecuting attorney may still choose to proceed with the charges.

 

Defendant’s Rights

 

Defendants have the right to be represented by an attorney and, if they cannot afford one, the right to have the State of Missouri provide a public defender. You may complete a Public Defender Application at the Circuit Clerk's Office in the Ste. Genevieve County Courthouse, or contact the Public Defender's Office directly at (573) 218-7080.

 

Restitution Payment

Restitution payments can be made payable to the Missouri Lawyer Trust Account Foundation Ste. Gen Co Prosecuting Attorney (MLTAF Ste. Gen P.A.) in the form of a money order or cashier's check only. You can also pay by credit or debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover) through a service we use called CourtMoney. If you wish to pay by phone, payment may be made by calling at 1-877-222-4668 or visiting www.courtmoney.com and giving them form # 117802 along with your case number. There are fees for using the CourtMoney service, $2.00 minimum, over $50-4% and additional $3.50 for phone fee. If you use CourtMoney services, your payment typically takes one week to clear. We can only credit your case once the payment clears through CourtMoney.

Receive A Bad Check?

Procedure for Reporting to Prosecutor’s Office

Complete a bad check complaint form, and then provide our office with that and the original or legal copy of the bad check(s) showing the reason for dishonor by the bank.

Our office will then mail a letter to the writer of the bad check in attempt to collect. If we do not receive a response, we will make every effort to pursue prosecution. Not all checks are appropriate for prosecution. Each check will be considered on a case by case basis.

 

Requirements for Prosecution

The prosecutor must be able to prove that a certain individual passed the specific check, therefore, we require the following information be obtained at the time the check is written:

  • Driver’s license number, state of issuance and date of birth on the person writing the check.
  • Compare the person on the ID with the person presenting it to make sure they match. That way, if you cannot recognize the person later at trial, you can testify that you always compare the person to the driver’s license photograph and you did so in this particular case.
  • Require a current physical address and phone number.
  • Make sure the check is completely filled out, dated, signed and legible.

*Cashing a check is a privilege, not a right. You are not required to accept a check from anyone. You have to the right to insist upon cash or money orders. 

 

WE DO NOT ACCEPT FOR PROSECUTION:

  • Checks without the required ID information
  • Third party checks
  • Checks that are beyond the statute of limitations
  • Postdated checks
  • Out of state checks
  • Checks where the parties made an agreement to hold the check
  • The check writer cannot be identified
  • The account holder is deceased
  • The person who physically accepted the check is unknown
  • The check is better pursued through litigation
  • Checks returned due to Stop Payment

Please note: Once a check has been submitted to our office for collection and/or prosecution, you must not accept payment from the defendant. Direct them to contact us. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in refusal to pursue collection and/or prosecution on future checks.

 

Procedure for paying a bad check

This is the same procedure as listed in "Restitution Payment" in the previous section on this site. 

Victim's Rights

The Missouri Constitution and Missouri statutes give victims of crime important rights, including the right to information about their cases and to be present and heard at stages in criminal proceedings. Information about cases may be accessed through the methods referenced above in the "How to track a case" section of this site. A full list of these rights can be found at: Missouri Statute 595.209

Victims seeking financial reimbursement/restitution

If you have experienced a financial loss as a result of a crime prosecuted by our office and are seeking reimbursement, please immediately provide us with copies of receipts, invoices, estimates, and any other documentation that may help us determine an appropriate restitution amount. Eligible losses may include property damage, medical expenses, and/or lost wages resulting from the crime. While we cannot guarantee restitution collection, we will make every effort to assist you.

If you are the victim of a violent crime and have suffered physical injury-or if you are a family member of a deceased victim who meets these criteria-you may also be eligible for assistance through the Missouri Crime Victims' Compensation Program (CVC). The CVC is a separate entity from our office and may offer a more immediate or viable option for certain types of compensation. This program can help cover medical and counseling costs, lost wages, funeral expenses, and similar losses. Property damage, however, is not covered.

To determine eligibility or access the online application, visit the CVC website at http://dps.mo.gov/dir/programs/cvc/ or contact them by phone at (573) 526-6006.

You may submit restitution documentation to both our office and the CVC. If the CVC issues compensation on your behalf, they will typically notify our office, but we also require that you notify us directly.

Victim Support Services

Vinelink (incarceration location) - www.vinelink.com

Missouri Department of Corrections (incarceration location) -  https://web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/

Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence - www.mocadsv.org/

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) - (800) 950-6264  www.nami.org/support-education/nami-helpline/

VOID (Victims of Impaired Drivers) - (888) 773-1800   www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/FOB/VOID/fillingAVOID.html

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) - (573) 636-2460  www.madd.org/

BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse) - http://bacaworld.org/

Parents of Murdered Children - www.pomc.org/

Safe At Home program - (866) 509-1409  www.sos.mo.gov/business/safeathome

  ·       Authorize survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, rape or other crimes to use a substitute address on new records with government agencies and the courts.

  ·       Authorize participants to use a substitute address for receiving first-class mail, legal documents and certified mail.

  ·       Provide a free mail-forwarding service for program participants.

  ·       Enable participants to use the substitute address to meet the requirements for a home, work or school address on public records.

  ·       Receive personal service of process (subpoenas for court) for participants.

 

Order of Protection & Safety Planning resources: 

St. Louis Survivors - (314) 669-7867 www.slsls.org/

Crime Victim's Center - (314) 652-3623 www.supportvictims.org/

Legal Services of Southern Missouri - (800) 444-4863  www.lsosm.org/

 

Shelters: 

Women's Crisis Center - (573) 547-0737

COMTREA/A Safe Place - (636) 232-2301

House of Refuge - (877) 633-3843

Haven House - (800) 491-1138

An extensive list of shelters and details on the services they each offer: www.mocadsv.org/

 

Hotlines:

Child Abuse Hotline - (800) 392-3738

Elder Abuse Hotline - (800) 392-0210

RAINN (Rape and Assault Hotline) - (800) 656-4673

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - (800) 273-8255

Missouri School Violence Hotline - (866) 748-7047

National Domestic Violence Hotline - (800) 799-7233

MO School Violence Hotline - (866) 748-7047