Jackson County Prosecutor Tells KC Police Board Self-Defense Law Blocked 46 Cases in 2026

Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson told the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners this week that her office has declined to prosecute 46 cases so far in 2026 because of Missouri's self-defense law, a number she says keeps climbing and does not even include cases her office lost at trial under the same statute. Johnson raised the issue directly with Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, who also addressed the board Tuesday on a separate matter involving a lawsuit against Kansas City and the state's congressional maps.

A Growing Tally of Declined Cases

According to KMBC, Johnson's office declined to prosecute 12 cases in July alone because of the state's self-defense statute, part of a total of 46 declined cases so far this year. That figure stands well above the 22 cases the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office declined in 2017 and the 57 cases declined in 2025, station reporter Andy Alcock noted. Johnson told the police board her office has real issues with how the law is functioning, and she called it a growing problem.

According to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office's 2025 annual report, overall case filing rates climbed to 73% and conviction rates reached nearly 70% in 2025. The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office's 2025 annual report says cases were dismissed for several reasons, including self-defense claims, deceased defendants, insufficient evidence and transfers to other jurisdictions.

Missouri's self-defense law allows a person to respond with lethal force based on a reasonable belief of danger or in response to an attack, per the outlet's report. The statute traces back to a 2016 overhaul that eliminated the duty to retreat in public places and shifted the burden onto prosecutors to disprove a self-defense claim beyond a reasonable doubt when a defendant asserts the dwelling, residence, or vehicle justification in subsection 2(2), according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Lawmakers also passed Senate Bill 43 in 2023, according to reporting cited by KSHB.

The Kansas City prosecutor's concerns come amid broader scrutiny statewide: FOX 2 St. Louis reported that Missouri prosecutors were raising concerns about the self-defense laws after a recent appeals court ruling.

The Chiefs Parade Shooting Fallout

Johnson's concerns trace in large part to the fallout from the 2024 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooting, which injured 25 people, including children, and killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan. A grand jury had indicted Dominic Miller for murder and three other charges, and court records showed a bullet from Miller's gun was found in Lopez-Galvan's body. In March, Miller pleaded guilty in Jackson County court to a reduced unlawful use of a weapon charge instead, and Johnson has said the plea deal was her only choice.

“We will not pursue charges we cannot prove just to make a statement,” Johnson said in March, according to the station's report. Fellow defendant Terry Young received a similar deal in April. Hoodline's earlier coverage of a Jackson County jury acquittal detailed how a jury cleared defendant Zechariah Hoskins-Ellis on all counts in July after accepting his self-defense argument in a separate fatal Kansas City shooting, another example of the legal standard prosecutors must overcome at trial.

Hanaway Addresses Contracting Suit and Congressional Maps

Hanaway used her appearance before the board to discuss a separate legal fight over Kansas City's business contracting rules, along with the state's congressional map changes. She claimed the city's Minority and Women Business Enterprise preference program was discriminatory and said price and quality were not the driving factors in all contracts awarded under it. The lawsuit names Chuck Cacioppo, owner of Industrial Salvage & Wrecking, which has done demolition work for Kansas City, as a plaintiff.

Kansas City has since scrapped the 45-year-old program and created a new business preference program in its place, though the underlying lawsuit remains ongoing even after Hanaway dropped her motion for a preliminary injunction. Joe Davis said the businesses affected by the decisions support families, create jobs, develop talent, and strengthen Kansas City's economy. Hanaway said she has other business victims and has not set a goal for potential monetary damages.

On the congressional maps, Hanaway defended state lawmakers' redistricting changes and said her side has won every case involving them so far. She said no court has changed maps between a primary election and a general election, and that the districts used in the primary will carry over to the general election. Hanaway said voters should feel confident the map changes will stand.

What Comes Next

Hanaway also said the Chiefs parade shooting prompted law enforcement to examine the state's use-of-force statute more closely, tying the two issues she and Johnson raised before the board together. Johnson said she looks forward to productive discussions with Hanaway about public safety and violent crime going forward. For now, the prosecutor's office continues tracking declined cases as a measure of how the law is shaping charging decisions across Jackson County.