• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
29 °f
Platte
50 ° Thu
48 ° Fri
48 ° Sat
52 ° Sun
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
No Result
View All Result
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
No Result
View All Result

Former Riverside judge charged with possession of cocaine

Ivan Foley by Ivan Foley
May 11, 2006
in Riverside
5
SHARES
136
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

A former Riverside municipal judge who may have tried to manipulate the legal system recently on a DWI charge now faces new trouble with the law.

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd on Thursday charged Charles M. McKeon, 48, with possessing cocaine after he left the scene of an accident while drunk.

RelatedNews

Want to learn pickleball? Free lessons offered

Firework sales could be booming this year

A reimagined park opens at Riverside

The new charge comes within two weeks after McKeon pled guilty to driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident in Kansas City Municipal Court. Zahnd said his office filed the felony charge against McKeon after receiving reports and a probable cause statement from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

As reported in the May 4 issue of The Landmark, McKeon’s DWI charge was supposed to be heard in state court, not in Kansas City municipal.

Zahnd said, “The entire Feb. 26 incident involving Mr. McKeon was supposed to be handled as one case filed by my office. Even though that cannot now occur, we will proceed with the remaining felony drug possession charge.”

According to court documents, McKeon was arrested Feb. 26 at about 1:25 a.m. following a hit and run accident at the McDonald’s restaurant located at 64th Street and Prairie View Road in Platte County.

McKeon allegedly left the restaurant after hitting another person’s vehicle. The victim’s brother followed McKeon in another vehicle to the On the Border restaurant at 8340 Roanridge.

When police arrived, an officer smelled what court records say was “the strong odor of alcohol” on McKeon’s breath. The officer also observed McKeon having apparent trouble with his balance. McKeon refused to take a field sobriety test but was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

When police searched McKeon’s vehicle, they found an off-white rock-like substance in the seams of the driver’s seat. The substance tested positive at the scene for cocaine, and, according to court records, a May 2 report concluded the substance contained cocaine.

McKeon was taken to the Kansas City Police Department’s North Patrol Detention Facility, where he allegedly refused to cooperate in any way regarding his booking or completion of an Alcohol Influence Report.

Court documents indicate McKeon was given the opportunity to call a lawyer but refused to do so. He then asked to use a restroom, where he allegedly started consuming large amounts of water from the sink in an attempt to disrupt the alcohol breath test.

A police officer asked McKeon twice to stop, but McKeon refused. The officer then grabbed McKeon’s arm to pull him away from the sink.

According to court records, McKeon then slammed his head against the door frame and collapsed on the floor as if he was injured. He was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital on Barry Road, where he allegedly pretended as if he was unconscious while in the presence of any police officer but would converse and immediately become alert when police officers left the room.

On two occasions, McKeon allegedly was talking with medical staff and then suddenly fell back onto the bed when he saw a police officer.

Court records indicate that toxicology reports from the hospital showed the presence of cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol in McKeon’s system. According to the records, McKeon’s blood alcohol content was .289.

McKeon pled guilty on April 28 to driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident in Kansas City Municipal Court, where he received probation.

Zahnd said he was disturbed when he learned of McKeon’s guilty plea in city court because there had been an agreement between Zahnd’s office and the municipal prosecutor’s office that all matters arising out of that night would be forwarded to Zahnd’s office for charges.

Zahnd said, “I believed Mr. McKeon was aware of that decision, and I am disappointed something else occurred. However, we will now address the remaining felony cocaine possession charge at the State level.”

City Prosecutor Beth Murano indicated in a written statement to The Landmark at the time that she did not know about McKeon’s municipal court plea before it occurred.

“Our agreement with the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office was to file all charges as state cases through Platte County,” Murano said. “Without my knowledge, two cases arising out of the incident of February 26 were added to the docket last Friday.”

Previous news stories have reported that McKeon had been the judge of the Riverside Municipal Court for about 12 years until he resigned the day after his arrest.

Zahnd also said on April 29 his campaign committee returned a $300 contribution McKeon had made more than three years ago. Zahnd’s treasurer returned the contribution the day after McKeon’s plea in municipal court.

Zahnd said he reviewed the Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys and the National District Attorneys Association’s National Prosecution Standards to determine whether it was a conflict of interest for him to prosecute the case. The rules revealed no conflict existed.

Zahnd said, “No prosecutor looks forward to prosecuting a former judge, but I took an oath to uphold the laws of this state when I took office. It is a sad day for the entire court system when a former judicial official becomes a criminal defendant, but I will do my duty in this case.”

A warrant was issued for McKeon’s arrest, and his bond was set at $2500. If convicted of the possession charge, McKeon faces up to seven years in prison

Tags: eric zahndplatte countypolicePublic Safetyriverside
Ivan Foley

Ivan Foley

Ivan Foley is owner/editor/publisher of the Platte County Landmark. Foley has been on the news beat in Platte County with The Landmark for 38 years, specializing in local government issues and accountability journalism. He has penned multiple award-winning investigative pieces. He provides weekly observations and editorial commentary in his Between the Lines column and serves as host of Landmark Live, a light-hearted videocast featuring newsmakers and events in the Northland. During his time at the helm of The Landmark, the newspaper has been awarded on multiple occasions for General Excellence in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. In 2016, Foley won the Tom and Pat Gish Award, a national honor given by the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky for displaying courage, tenacity and integrity in rural journalism. A big fan of the Chiefs and Royals, Foley resides in Platte County not far from KCI Airport.

Related Posts

45 Years Ago–March 12, 1976

by Ivan Foley
March 1, 2021
0

Robert C. Ham of Parkville recently was presented a watch for 30 years of service at Western Electric and Mrs. Ham was presented a pin in honor of the occasion. The Park Hill Acapella Choir will present their 24th annual...

30 Years Ago–March 8, 1991

by Ivan Foley
March 1, 2021
0

The Platte County R-3 High School Concert and Jazz Bands will present a concert Thursday, March 14. The program, under the direction of Wendell Doyle, will feature two selections which the concert bands will be performing at the district music...

15 Years Ago–March 2, 2006

by Ivan Foley
March 1, 2021
0

A winning $200,000 Powerball ticket will be split nine ways among six Platte County R-3 teachers and three R-3 maintenance workers. Each of the winners, after taxes, will receive $15,778. They are Rebecca Stallard, 42, Platte City; Tamara Judds, 47,...

45 Years Ago–February 27, 1976

by Ivan Foley
February 26, 2021
0

Mr. and Mrs. Allen Buxton of Weston announce the birth of their daughter, Valerie Sue, on Sunday, Feb. 22, 1976 at St. John Hospital in Leavenworth. Mrs. Buxton formerly worked at Bobbi's Hair Fashions in Platte City. Doug Hunt, Platte...

Next Post

Riverside board makes exceptions for gatewoods

Popular News

  • Why the urgency for R-3 bond issue?

    Why the urgency for R-3 bond issue?

    23 shares
    Share 9 Tweet 6
  • Around 1,700 shots to be offered in the next week

    16 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • City ‘finds’ 2,300 records, gives them to Jason Maki

    16 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Investigations, rolling outages and building south

    9 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 2
  • Attorney general probing Parkville on Sunshine

    8 shares
    Share 3 Tweet 2
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Call us at 816-858-0363

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Subscribe Online
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist