Sunday, June 10, 2018

Judge in 2015 court document- Neosho man accused of road rage murder poses no threat to public safety

Less than three years after a Newton County Circuit Court judge ruled that he did not pose a potential threat to society, Christopher David Montz, 24, Neosho, sits in the Joplin City Jail facing charges of murder and armed criminal action.

Montz is charged with the road rage killing of David C. Reynolds, 27, Carthage, Saturday during a confrontation on Route 249 in Joplin. He is being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond.

Judge Gregory Stremel's statement about Montz came at the conclusion of a completely different kind of case. It was in response to Montz' request that he not have to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor child molestation charge.

In his guilty plea, Montz acknowledged that in 2012, he had sex with his girlfriend's 14-year-old sister.

According to the probable cause statement, Montz was unaware that the girl was 14.

"He thought she was 13 and at the time and he was 17."

The probable cause statement says the girl claimed Montz forced her to have sex with him on two occasions at her home. Montz admitted to the sex, but said he did not force the girl on either occasion.

The first time it happened, Montz said, he was helping the girl's father doing some work at their house.

When the father left to buy gas for the lawn mower, Montz and the girl had sex in the basement.

On the second occasion, Montz and a friend came to the house. Montz, his girlfriend, her sister, and the friend again went to the basement, where Montz had sex with the sister, in an area where they could not be seen by the other two because of a heating and air conditioning unit, according to the probable cause statement.

When Montz pleaded guilty April 22, 2015, Stremel sentenced him to six months in jail, suspended the sentence and placed him on unsupervised probation for two years, according to court records.

Montz successfully completed the unsupervised probation on April 22, 2017. On November 12, 2015, Stremel signed the document allowing Montz to avoid registering as a sex offender.

The document (shown in the photo) says, "The Court further finds that Petitioner is not a current or potential threat to public safety."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gregory Stremel needs to resign as a Judge

Anonymous said...

More evidence of a judge that is unfit for serving the people of Newton County. Just be a defendant in his court when your wife uses his courtroom to get a Restraining order, when you have never touched a woman in your life, and she alleges that you hurt your 2 year old daughter as well. He will do anything he can to bend over and grant that order, instead of listening to the facts and denying the person that lied just to get custody and possession of everything else you have.

Time for a new Judge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I live about 10 hrs from Missouri. Over 4 years of arguing to have frequent and meaningful time with my kids because 4 weeks in the summer and about 9 days throughout the year is ridiculous, Stremel still cant figure out that both parents are important. The court of Appeals says fix the parenting plan to allow me to have Holidays with my kids. Stremel still decides he is not going to change the parenting plan. Now more court hearings. This judge is completely incompetent to do his job. Newton County and everyone that lives there... I feel sorry for you.