210.165. Penalty for violation. - Missouri Statutes

Penalty for violation.

210.165. 1. Any person violating any provision of sections210.110 to 210.165 is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

2. Any person who intentionally files a false report ofchild abuse or neglect shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

3. Every person who has been previously convicted of makinga false report to the division of family services and who issubsequently convicted of making a false report under subsection2 of this section is guilty of a class D felony and shall bepunished as provided by law.

4. Evidence of prior convictions of false reporting shall beheard by the court, out of the hearing of the jury, prior to thesubmission of the case to the jury, and the court shall determinethe existence of the prior convictions.

(L. 1975 H.B. 578 § 12, A.L. 1982 H.B. 1171, et al., A.L. 1986 S.B. 470)

(2004) Section criminalizing failure to report child abuse is not unconstitutional under void for vagueness doctrine. State v. Brown, 140 S.W.3d 51 (Mo.banc).