Jackson County Prosecutor Challenges ‘Stand Your Ground’ After Conviction of Gang Members

A Jackson County judge on Friday found two Kansas City defendants guilty of multiple felonies and misdemeanors in connection with a shooting that occurred one January afternoon at Crown Center, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.

The judge convicted Brian Favela, 23, and Joel Olivas, 24, whom prosecutors identified as East Side gang members, of two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, class B felonies, and two counts of armed criminal action, as well as three misdemeanor counts. Harassment 2nd degree. The judge dismissed one count of unlawful use of a weapon and criminal mischief with a weapon, finding there was not enough evidence presented to overcome Missouri’s self-defense laws on those two counts.

“Today’s verdict indicates the level of accountability that this office will seek for individuals who engage in this type of insidious conduct, even though the defendants are protected by Missouri’s very generous self-defense laws,” Baker said. “We will do everything we can to hold offenders accountable for their own criminal behavior. I am grateful to this court team who worked so hard and quickly to bring these offenders to justice. And I am so grateful to the management team at Crown Centre, Hallmark and KPPG who helped in every way possible to reach today’s verdict.”

################