KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — Rep. Jeremy LaFaver, D-Kansas City, was arrested Sunday afternoon in Boone County by the Missouri State Highway Patrol for failing to appear in court for a traffic offense and marijuana possession.
LaFaver was pulled over in conjuncture with a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear in court, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrest report.
According to a statement from LaFaver, the traffic offense dealt with a charge that he had been operating his vehicle with an expired license and without insurance. The filing date for that case, according to CaseNet, was April 19.
When LaFaver was pulled over for the warrant, he was cited with possession of a marijuana pipe and a small quantity of marijuana — up to 35 grams, according to the report.
“I made a serious mistake, I apologize for it, and I am prepared to face the consequences of my behavior,” LaFaver said in his statement. “I want to stress that I was not operating under the influence.”
He also stressed that he has received no special considerations and does not expect “to be treated any differently than any other citizen” in his situation.
“I think the biggest thing is that my family and I are working through this together and I continuously express that I’m sorry to them for making a bad decision,” LaFaver told The Missouri Times. “I’ll be working the next months and years to make it up to them and to make it up to the citizens of my district and to my colleagues.”
He added that several of his colleagues in the House have reached out to him since the news of his arrest was made public.
According to the State Highway Patrol, LaFaver is out on bond after being held in the Boone County Jail following the arrest just after 3 p.m. He currently is out on bond for the two warrants, which an officer from the Boone County Jail said totaled $310.
House and Democrat leaders didn’t respond to questions late Sunday night about what the arrest means for LaFaver’s House seat or his position as Chairman of the House Democratic Victory Committee.
According to his release, he is being represented by William Ellis, an attorney in Columbia, Mo.
Ashley Jost is no longer with The Missouri Times. She worked as the executive editor for several months, and a reporter before that.
