Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Jun 20, 2023
L.E.C., Respondent, v. K.R.C., Appellant.
Husband K.R.C. appealed a full order of protection entered against him under Missouri's Adult Abuse Act, which Wife L.E.C. obtained four years after filing her petition. The appellate court first determined the appeal was moot because the order had expired, but exercised its discretion to review the merits under the public-interest exception. The court reversed the circuit court's judgment, finding insufficient evidence to support the full order of protection due to the significant delay between the alleged acts and the hearing, which dissipated any presumption of immediate and present danger.