Lawyer charged with disseminating juvenile court records in Stoddard County

BLOOMFIELD, Mo.-- Stoddard County officials await the assignment of a new judge and a special prosecutor before proceeding with a case involving a Sikeston, Mo., lawyer accused of disseminating confidential juvenile reports and records.

Lisa Dawn Coatney was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor unauthorized dissemination of information on a child abuse or neglect registry by Stoddard County assistant prosecuting attorney Rance Butler.

The information filed with the court alleges that on Nov. 15 Coatney gave the records to someone "not authorized by statute to receive such reports and records."

After filing the information against Coatney, Butler then filed a motion to recuse himself from the case.

Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield granted Butler's request and issued an order designating the Missouri attorney general's office as special prosecuting attorney for the case, then notified Presiding Circuit Judge Stephen Sharp that he, too, was recusing himself from hearing the case.

Sharp subsequently sent Coatney's case to the Missouri Supreme Court for the assignment of a special judge. A summons for Coatney to appear in court reportedly will be issued once a new judge is assigned.