VIENNA — Allegations made during a March 5 Maries County Commission meeting that allege the Maries County Sheriff’s Office is filing fewer criminal cases compared to previous years has prompted a response from Sheriff Mark Morgan, the prosecutor’s office, and the circuit clerk.

Judge Kerry G. Rowden of the Maries County 25th Circuit Court told commissioners that criminal case filings had declined in recent months and said court schedules had been adjusted due to lighter dockets.

“I no longer have court on the third, the fourth or the fifth Tuesdays of the month, because there’s no cases,” Rowden said at the meeting. “I put everything on the first two Tuesdays of the month.”

Rowden also said the number of inmates in the Maries County Jail had dropped compared to previous years.

“Before he (Maries County Sheriff Mark Morgan) took office, our jail — I struggled to keep the jail numbers under 20,” Rowden said. “Now there’s eight people in there.”

Following the meeting, Sunshine Law requests were submitted to the offices of Maries County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony (Tony) Skouby and Maries County Circuit Clerk and Recorder Mark Buschmann seeking data related to criminal case activity in the county.

In response to the request, Skouby provided figures showing the number of felony cases submitted to the prosecutor’s office by the Maries County Sheriff’s Office in recent years.

According to Skouby, under Retired Sheriff Chris Hietman’s administration, 446 felony cases were sent to the prosecutor in 2023, and 419 were submitted in 2024. In 2025, Morgan’s first year in office, 277 felony cases were submitted. As of March 10, the prosecutor’s office had received 20 felony cases for the year.

He added that as of the response date, March 11, there were two 2026 cases awaiting reports from deputies and both had been recently opened.

Separately, Buschmann said his office worked with the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA) to generate a report through the statewide Show-Me Courts system.

That report combines both felony and misdemeanor filings and reflects cases formally filed with the court. According to the report, in 2023 under Heitman, 354 criminal cases were filed in Maries County, 352 in 2024 and in 2025 under Morgan, 299 cases were filed. As of early March, the system showed 50 cases filed this year.

Buschmann said the numbers may differ from those provided by the prosecutor’s office because the two offices track cases through different systems.

“These figures may not match what you get from the PA but they use Karpel and we use the Show-Me Courts through OSCA,” Buschmann wrote in his response.

Because the prosecutor’s office tracks felony cases submitted by law enforcement while the circuit clerk’s office tracks cases formally filed with the court, the two sets of numbers represent different stages of the criminal justice process and are not directly comparable.

Morgan said criminal cases continue to be investigated and submitted for prosecution in the county and said recent comments could create confusion for the public.

“I am writing in response to a statement reportedly made during a recent Maries County Commission meeting in which it was suggested that no criminal cases are being filed in Maries County other than traffic offenses,” Morgan said on March 10 in an email to The Advocate. “Because this statement could create confusion for the public, I believe it is important to provide accurate information regarding criminal case filings from the Maries County Sheriff’s Office.”

Morgan said records he compiled using Case.net show criminal filings continuing at levels similar to recent years.

“In 2024, a total of 216 criminal cases were filed. In 2025, a total of 222 criminal cases were filed. As of this date in 2026, 34 criminal cases have already been filed,” Morgan said. “These numbers demonstrate that criminal cases are in fact being investigated and filed, and that our activity remains consistent with the historical trends for our county.”

Morgan said that criminal case numbers can vary throughout the year depending on several factors.

“As with any year, case filings naturally fluctuate month to month depending on investigations, arrests and prosecutorial review,” he said.

Morgan said the sheriff’s office remains committed to investigating criminal activity and forwarding cases to the prosecuting attorney for review and potential filing.

“Our deputies continue to work diligently to serve the citizens of Maries County and to uphold the law,” Morgan said. “It is important for the public to have accurate information about the work being done by law enforcement in our community.”

The information obtained through the Sunshine requests shows that multiple agencies track criminal case activity at different points in the justice process.

Law enforcement agencies investigate cases and submit reports to the prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors review those cases and determine whether formal charges will be filed. Once charges are filed, the cases are entered into the court system and appear in the circuit clerk’s records.

Because of those differences, totals reported by the sheriff’s office, the prosecutor’s office and the circuit clerk’s office may not match exactly even though they refer to the same overall criminal justice process.