The St. Louis couple who brandished firearms at protesters outside their home in 2020 had their misdemeanor convictions expunged by a judge in a recent ruling.
As per a report by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who are attorneys, had filed a request in January to have their convictions removed from their record. In a recent order, Missouri Judge Joseph P. Whyte stated that the purpose of expungement is to give individuals a second chance if they have successfully rehabilitated themselves.
Related posts
After the verdict, Mark McCloskey requested that the city return the two firearms that were taken as evidence following his guilty plea in 2021. These two guns gained notoriety after being featured in the viral photograph of him and his wife standing outside their home during the Black Lives Matter protests in June of 2020.
When the couple’s photo, where they were holding weapons, went viral, it became a representation of the cultural divide in America. The picture drew mixed reactions from the public and received both criticism and admiration from Republican politicians and former President Trump.
In July 2021, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) pardoned the couple who had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges following their standoff. However, even with the pardon, the couple still faced the ruling made by a judge in December 2022 stating that their firearms would not be returned to them.
The Supreme Court dismissed the case of the couple whose law licenses were suspended, despite their appeal.
In May 2021, McCloskey attempted to run for Senate, hoping to fill the position left vacant by the retirement of former Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). However, his campaign fell short as he only received 3 percent of the primary vote.
