Mark McCloskey – the St. Louis personal injury lawyer who brandished a gun in front of Black Lives Matter protesters marching near his home in June 2020 – will not get his guns or his money back despite being pardoned last year, a Missouri judge ruled on Wednesday.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges for assault and harassment over the incident in July 2021. As part of their plea agreement, the couple surrendered a Colt AR-15 rifle and a Bryco .380-caliber pistol.
Following a pardon by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson in August 2021, Mark McCloskey filed a lawsuit seeking the return of the guns and a refund for the $872.50 in fines the couple paid.
On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Joan Moriarty denied McCloskey's request, saying he and his wife are "required to follow through with their end of the bargain," regardless of the pardon, the Post-Dispatch reported.
"While the governor's pardon does clear plaintiff's record of the conviction, his guilt remains and the terms of an agreement that predicated said guilt also remains," Morarity said.
According to the Post-Dispatch, McCloskey intends to appeal the ruling.
"We'll see what the Court of Appeals has to say," he reportedly said.
In May 2021, the St. Louis attorney launched a campaign for Missouri's open Senate seat, but lost August's Republican primary to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt after getting just 3% of the vote.
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