In what some are calling a travesty of justice, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a Second Amendment rights case. The case concerns Mr. and Mrs. McCloskey who stood in their front lawn in 2020 with weapons in hand to stave off a BLM mob moving toward their home.
The McCloskeys are both attorneys. Today’s Supreme Court decision means the McCloskeys’ licences to practice law can be permanently suspended and Missouri’s “Stand Your Ground” law can be overruled.
The Conservative Brief reports that in the summer of 2020, “Mark McClosky, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, and his wife Patricia McCloskey, who was armed with a handgun, faced off against a Black Lives Matter-supporting mob that broke into their gated complex to protest the Mayor of St. Louis, who lived down the street.”
Pictures of the McCloskeys went viral. The left demanded they be prosecuted for apparently threatening the trespassing protesters whom they felt threatened by — noting they were “afraid for their lives after hearing shouted threats of violence from some of the demonstrators.”
Mark McCloskey pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment. Missouri Gov. Michael Parson pardoned the McCloskeys in 2021 but the state office responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct by lawyers sought to suspend their law licenses.”
The Supreme Court of Missouri in February agreed to suspend the licenses indefinitely but stayed the suspensions and placed the two lawyers on probation for a year. Conditions of the probation included that the McCloskeys provided quarterly reports to a probation monitor – including whether they are charged with additional crimes – and provided 100 hours of free legal services.
Governor Parson issued pardons to the McCloskeys; however, the Missouri Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel asked the state’s highest court to suspend their law licenses.
The State Supreme Court agreed but put the suspensions on hold contingent upon the couple completing a yearlong probationary period.
Joel Schwarz told NPR, “I think it was equitable and justice was served.”
The Conservative Brief notes that the McCloskeys appealed the state Supreme Court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court “arguing that the state court violated their Second Amendment rights as well as their constitutional right to due process because they were “exercising lawful rights to bear arms in defense of their person, family, and home.”
The McCloskeys noted that Missouri is one of several states with a “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows homeowners to defend themselves and their property with a weapon if they feel threatened.
However, the Supreme Court declined to hear their appeal that means they now may face indefinite suspension of their law licenses.
Noteworthy is that Mark McCloskey is one of several GOP candidates running to fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
CNN reported there were no known dissents from the high court, suggesting its refusal to take the appeal was unanimous.
The outlet continued:
Images of the McCloskeys brandishing the weapons became national news during the wave “Black Lives Matter” protestors in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Demonstrators were marching down a private street in front of the McCloskeys’ mansion to protest then-Mayor Lyda Krewson’s decision to publish the names and addresses of people in favor of police reform.”
In videos posted to social media, Mark McCloskey is seen holding an AR-15 style rifle and Patricia McCloskey a pistol as the protestors walked by, and the images have played a prominent role in Mark McCloskey’s Senate race.”
Mark McCloskey told CNN at the time that he was “in imminent fear they (protesters) would run me over, kill me.”
NPR reported that all charges of breaking and entering and causing property damage were dropped by the St. Louis District Attorney, Kim Gardner, who was supported in her run for office by leftist billionaire George Soros.
The Missouri Supreme Court has questioned Gardner’s ties to Soros and in April requested that she hand over certain Soros-related communications for review.
These are relevant to her failed case against former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who is also running in the primary for Blunt’s seat.
