St. Louis Couple Who Waved Guns At BLM Protesters Placed On Probation As Lawyers

The St. Louis couple who brandished their guns outside their home as Black Lives Matter protesters walked on their street after the death of George Floyd have been placed on probation as lawyers.

The Missouri Supreme Court put a delayed suspension on the McCloskeys’ law licenses and instead put them on a two-year probation. That means that the couple will still be able to practice, but if they violate probation by breaking any more laws, the suspension will go into effect.

“I think the reason why we were asked to be suspended had more to do with politics than anything else,” Mark McCloskey said. “But we respect the Supreme Court’s opinion, although we disagree…. We will comply 100% with the orders.”

He suggested that he might appeal to the United States Supreme Court. McCloskey is currently running for a U.S. Senate seat and recently said that he does not foresee being on probation affecting his candidacy at all.

“The folks that support me know what I did, why I did it and support me for having done it,” he said.

The McCloskeys emerged from their house on June 28, 2020, with guns, saying they felt threatened. As hundreds of protestors flooded their street, Mark McCloskey came out holding an AR-15-style rifle while Patricia McCloskey held a semi-automatic pistol. McCloskey said he and his wife did “what we thought was right.”

Mark McCloskey pled guilty to fourth-degree assault and paid a $750 fine while Patricia pled guilty to misdemeanor harassment and ended up paying a $2,000 fine.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) pardoned them last year.

Missouri Chief Disciplinary Counsel Alan Pratzel, who sought the suspension, is responsible for looking into complaints made against lawyers in the state.

“While a pardon erases a person’s conviction, the person’s guilt remains,” he said, explaining why he still wanted the McCloskey’s licenses suspended.

Article by Rose Carter