Attorney General Chris Koster last week applauded a decision upholding a Missouri law that increases pay for deputy sheriffs across the state. Koster’s office defended a court challenge to the law, which places an additional charge of $10 on each subpoena, summons or other orders of the court delivered by sheriffs’ offices, with the money going to a special fund to supplement the salaries of deputy sheriffs.
“Missouri’s deputy sheriffs are on the front line of carrying out the criminal justice laws passed by the legislature,” Koster said. “I am grateful Missouri’s General Assembly took steps to address the low salaries paid to deputy sheriffs across the state, and I am pleased our office was able to defend the law successfully.
“We will continue to aggressively defend this law in court should the decision be appealed,” Koster said.
Koster has long been active in addressing pay issues for law-enforcement officers. As prosecutor of Cass County, he successfully led the county from having one of the lowest pay scales for deputy sheriffs to one of the highest. As a state senator, Koster sponsored the 2006 bill to increase pay for deputy sheriffs, and he helped pass the 2007 bill that is now law.