Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Responds to Concerns from UM System President

Boone County Prosecuting Attorney Roger Johnson has responded to UM System President Mun Choi’s remarks about safety in downtown Columbia near campus.

This comes in the form of emails from Choi addressed to City Manager De’Carlton Seewood, Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and First Ward councilperson Valerie Carroll, concerning a brawl that occurred on July 25 on Walnut street. Choi reportedly urged harsher sentences for those involved in violence near Columbia’s downtown area.

On Thursday, a local news source reported that Johnson responded to Choi’s concerns saying, “I’m well aware that case results send a message, and for years the message here was that Boone County was a place to go to commit crimes.” He continued to say “It’s disappointing that, despite the office’s overall record and progress in reversing that trend, it’s a small number of cases that draw attention.”