New Missouri Laws Protecting Women and Children
The governor of Missouri signed three bills into law on April 7, 2026 that aim to protect women and children in the state. The second and third laws could potentially serve as blueprints for other states:House Bill 1908 – This law finally eliminates a 1970s practice that effectively stopped judges from granting divorce if a spouse was pregnant. In Missouri, the law presumes that if a woman gets pregnant while married, that the husband is the father. Under the law, a judge had to deal with children of the marriage (through child support and custody/visitation), so a woman typically had to wait until after the child was born (although not expressly stated in the law, this was the practical impact). House Bill 1908 allows women to still get divorced when pregnant, regardless of who is the father (the law still presumes the husband is the father, so clear and convincing evidence to the contrary must be established by the parties about who is the actual father if not the husband). This change has the added benefit of allowing women to escape abusive relationships quicker without the the pregnancy as a potential handcuff preventing divorce.
Evan’s Voice Act – Named after a young man that took his own life after being extorted with pictures online, the law criminalizes sexually extorting a minor.
Evie and Sophie’s Law – This law primarily criminalizes grooming and defines it in state law as “an adult engaging in a pattern of conduct intended to prepare, condition, or manipulate a minor for sexual conduct.”
Both Evan’s Voice and Evie and Sophie’s Law increase criminal penalties for these type of crimes and expand sex and human trafficking training for social workers, first responders and law enforcement. There will now be a statewide council and funding source to combat human trafficking.
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How Much are Local Traffic Fines These Days?
Since times are tough and prices for just about everything are higher, we wanted to remind everyone to avoid traffic tickets. In Illinois, most traffic violations can be handled directly by the driver so our office recommends clients handle those on their own if able (but there are plenty of Illinois lawyers willing to assist) to secure probation and pay a fine. During probation, which is typically 6 months, the driver cannot get in trouble again in that jurisdiction. Once completed, the ticket will come off the driver’s record (effectively making the infraction a no-point, non-moving violation).In Missouri, points are assigned for traffic offences and show up on a drivers record. We frequently recommend clients hire us to plead down traffic infractions to no-point, non-moving violations to avoid points and insurance premiums increases. We explained this in more detail in our December 2024 Newsletter, however, we thought it might be usefully to post some of the recent court fines in case it deters anyone from speeding in the future. While fines vary by jurisdiction and the nature of the infraction, the numbers below are the fines you can expect to pay in addition to attorney’s fees.
Crystal City – $211
Ellisville – $531 (speeding over 24mph)
Ferguson – $220
Kirkwood – $225
Manchester – $225
City of St. Charles – $391
St. Louis County – $267
University City – $200
Valley Park – $283
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Just for fun: Nashville
Nashville has a fond place in Tarun’s heart ever since he ran a half-marathon there (in his much younger days). Between the great weather, food and music, the city has plenty to offer. This time, he was there to celebrate his wife’s birthday. Something new during the trip was a visit to The Listening Room Cafe where songwriters tell the stories behind their biggest hits and try out new, never before heard material. It was a great experience and he will do it again next time he visits.Other stops included dinner at Butcher & Bee (Mediterranean food), some excellent New York style pizza from Five Points Pizza, and some truly excellent donuts from Five Daughter’s Bakery (he recommends the mini donuts to try out a few flavors, with the original “Purist” edging out the chocolate sprinkles and blueberry lemon). The Honky Tonk Highway on Broadway is always a great time with plenty of sights and sounds. No wonder they call Nashville “NashVegas”!
 
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Case Referrals
From time to time, clients call and ask which type of cases we handle. Our practice is built on referrals from satisfied clients. We know that if we work hard and do a good job for our clients, they will tell their friends about us. The best compliment from a former client is that client entrusting us with the potential case of their friend or family. Our office specializes in the following cases:
- Personal Injury (auto collisions, trucking, motorcycle, premise liability, dog bites, daycare)
- Work Injuries
- Traffic tickets and DUI/DWI
If you know someone that meets these criteria, please have them call our office. If someone does not quite fit the above criteria, please still have the prospective referral give us a call as we can usually help the person find the right attorney via a referral.
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