Missouri Laws 579.105 – Keeping or maintaining a public nuisance — violation, penalty
1. A person commits the offense of keeping or maintaining a public nuisance if he or she knowingly keeps or maintains:
(1) Any room, building, structure or inhabitable structure, as defined in section 556.061, which is used for the illegal manufacture, distribution, storage, or sale of any amount of a controlled substance, except thirty-five grams or less of marijuana or thirty-five grams or less of any synthetic cannabinoid; or
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class E felony | up to 4 years | up to $10,000 |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 579.105
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
(2) Any room, building, structure or inhabitable structure, as defined in section 556.061, where on three or more separate occasions within the period of a year, two or more persons, who were not residents of the room, building, structure, or inhabitable structure, gathered for the principal purpose of unlawfully ingesting, injecting, inhaling or using any amount of a controlled substance, except thirty-five grams or less of marijuana or thirty-five grams or less of any synthetic cannabinoid.
2. In addition to any other criminal prosecutions, the prosecuting attorney or circuit attorney may by information or indictment charge the owner or the occupant, or both the owner and the occupant of the room, building, structure, or inhabitable structure with the offense of keeping or maintaining a public nuisance.
3. The offense of keeping or maintaining a public nuisance is a class E felony.
4. Upon the conviction of the owner pursuant to this section, the room, building, structure, or inhabitable structure is subject to the provisions of sections 513.600 to 513.645.