The Schweich initiative was to target 10 municipal courts in six counties across Missouri. They were chosen based on traffic stop data and complaints to his office.

Galloway, who took over as auditor after Schweich’s death, has since added more courts and expanded the focus.

In addition to looking at accounting practices, the audits now place a larger emphasis on statistical information on warrants, tickets and other penalties, as well as practices that may damage the court’s credibility or result in people being treated unfairly.

Five of the seven municipal courts audited so far under Galloway have received ratings of “fair” and “poor,” on a four point scale that also includes “good” and “excellent.” They are in Jasper, Clay and Lincoln counties.

Charted it on a map, the ratings get worse the farther out you go.

In Carl Junction, a city of about 7,445 people in Jasper County, in the far southwestern corner of Missouri, the audit found “significant weaknesses” in accounting procedures and controls and at least $65,373 in missing money.