In Missouri crime debate, certainty of punishment matters more than severity

By: Patrick Tuohey

Outlets: Missouri Independent

Published: March 11, 2026

Words: 793

Last Updated: 4 months, 3 weeks ago

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Recent murders in Kansas City and St. Louis — one at a nightclub, the other at a coffeeshop — have people asking why the assailants, both with histories of violent crime, were out on the streets in the first place. When violence strikes, anger is natural. It often translates into demands for harsher sentences.

The debate is often framed as tough versus soft. But the real question is severity versus certainty.

Crime …

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