Tumult Continues Over Greene County Jail Decision

A Springfield, MO, city report on the local judicial system says nearly 3,000 crimes have gone virtually unpunished since Greene County's sheriff announced in April he would no longer accept municipal prisoners at the county jail. The Springfield News-Leader reports one Greene County official called the report propaganda in support of a lawsuit the city filed against Sheriff Jim Arnott for his actions. Arnott says the county is still taking in Springfield prisoners who have committed serious crimes. Of the roughly 700 inmates in the sheriff's custody, he says 391 of them were city prisoners. Local judges say Arnott's move puts them in a compromising position because the threat of sending a defendant to jail for not showing up for court is no longer an option.