Local candidates prepare for Aug. 6 circuit judge election

By Jenna Wilson

As the Aug. 6 primary election nears, two local Republicans are showcasing their skills to earn a seat behind the bench.

As Judge Patrick K. Robb prepares to retire after serving as circuit judge since 1988, Monica Morrey and Terry White are looking to take on the position of the Division 3 circuit judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit.

Monica Morrey is a St. Joseph native who earned a law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 2016. She has worked her way up from assistant prosecuting attorney for Buchanan County to prosecuting attorney for Andrew County.

Morrey said her success in both counties is important to her as a citizen, community member and mother, and said it also illustrates her readiness to take on a key role for Buchanan County residents.

“Earning a position as judge would be the best way for me to use my legal skills to serve my community,” Morrey said. “I have significant trial experience in both civil and criminal matters, and that includes jury trial experience. This is a trial-heavy docket, and it handles the majority of the serious criminal offenses that occur in our communities. It’s important to have trial experience and be able to hit the ground running because crime isn’t going to wait and trials aren’t going to wait. The person stepping in needs to be experienced, know the law and how to apply it efficiently and effectively.”

Morrey plans to be tough on crime, which has become a key issue that needs serious consideration in both Andrew and Buchanan counties, she added.

In addition to Morrey’s experience, she would like to keep the family history going by serving Division 3, which is where both her parents worked in the 1980s.

Candidate Terry White highlights his 40 years of experience in the criminal justice system, which includes time serving as an assistant prosecutor in Nodaway County and an investigator for the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force since 2010.

White has a Juris Doctor degree and currently serves as a municipal judge in Tarkio, Missouri, leading him to feel ready to take on the role as judge in Buchanan County.

“I’ve worked at the international level in Kosovo and Iraq, as well as the federal, state, county and municipal levels of government, both public and private,” White said. “Throughout my years of being in law enforcement and serving at all three levels of the judicial system, I’ve got a pretty good insight and a unique insight on how the system works. I’ve seen things over the years that have been tried and failed and tried and succeeded.”

White has every intention of continuing to serve Northwest Missouri by increasing community safety, and he said this is the last way he would like to do so.