Attorneys Mark and Patricia McCloskey have come to the end of the road in their appeal of the Missouri Supreme Court’s probated suspension of their law licenses.
The couple gained national prominence after brandishing an assault rifle and a semi-automatic pistol in front of their St. Louis home two years ago while George Floyd demonstrators marched towards former Mayor Lyda Krewson’s nearby home.
The U.S. Supreme Court denied their petition for writ of certiorari last week.
McCloskeys
| JFairley
“It was my opinion that the concept of lawyers being sanctioned for doing no more than supporting their constitutional rights and defending themselves ought to be something which the Supreme Court would find offensive and make some good law on it for us but they have chosen otherwise," Mark McCloskey said.
The McCloskeys appealed the Missouri Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel's decision with a 13-page brief, written by fellow St. Louis attorney Mike Downey.
“I don't think the denial is necessarily an indication of anything other than a busy season for them and they may have bigger fish to fry,” McCloskey told the St. Louis Record. “I think any one judge can dispense with a writ. So, I wasn't really surprised but I was a little disappointed.”
The McCloskeys were arrested and charged with misdemeanors, defined as crimes of moral turpitude. Although they were pardoned by Gov. Mike Parson, on Feb. 8, the Missouri Supreme Court issued an order indefinitely suspending the couple’s law permits.
“I have never lost my good spirits,” McCloskey said. “I like a good fight. I don't back down and we'll keep fighting until the court rules against me on the return of the guns.”
As part of a plea agreement, the McCloskeys forfeited their two guns but they subsequently sued St. Louis, the city sheriff, and the state in order to regain possession of them.
“We argued the motion for judgment on the pleadings more than a month ago,” he said. “We're waiting on our ruling on that. I suspect the judge is going to deny both my motion and the state's motion for judgment on the pleadings, and we'll probably end up going to trial on it. But we’ll wait and see. I never try to predict the actions of those people in robes.”
After being praised by former President Trump, McCloskey announced his candidacy for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Roy Blunt. The Republican primary is on Aug. 2 where McCloskey will face fellow Republican contenders former Gov. Eric Greitens, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, and Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler.
“I've been campaigning pretty hard for the Senate full time, and we have some new polling out that's very encouraging,” McCloskey added. “We going to a rodeo in Henry County and then we've got the Texas and Shannon County Lincoln Day Dinner. We're hitting every town in between. “
As previously reported, an Emerson College/The Hill poll found that one-fourth of voters are undecided with Greitens leading with 26% of the vote, followed by Schmitt with 20% of the vote, Hartzler with 16% of the vote, Billy Long with 8% of the vote and McCloskey with 4% of the vote.