The Missouri Bar Association issued a recommendation this week that Judge Mary Sheffield, a former Phelps County Associate Circuit Judge who in 2005 became a circuit judge of the 25th Judicial Circuit which covers Pulaski, Phelps, Maries and Texas counties, be retained in office in her new post on the Southern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals. #PulaskiCountyMo Gov. Jay Nixons appointment of Sheffield in 2012 touched off a series of other vacancies directly affecting Pulaski County. Pulaski County Associate Circuit Judge Greg Warren was appointed by Nixon to fill her Circuit Court vacancy, and the governor later appointed lawyer Ronda Neff Cortesini to fill Greg Warrens post. Warren chose not to run for re-election and Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney John Beger is running unopposed for Warrens circuit judgeship. Ronda Cortesinis appointment had been controversial in local Pulaski Missouri Democrats party circles; the county Democratic central committee nominated a candidate living in another county rather than Cortesini by Nixon chose Cortesini over the official Democratic nominee. While Cortesini faced no opposition in the August Democratic primary, she drew two Republican opponents, Assistant Pulaski County Prosecutor Dean Alan Matthews and a former Pulaski County prosecutor, Mike Headrick who served from 1994 to 2004 and is now in private practice. Headrick won the Republican primary and will face Cortesini in the November general election. Unlike most circuit and associate circuit court elections, candidates for the court of appeals and higher courts are appointed by the governor and then stand for re-election by a yes or no vote. Sheffield faces that retention vote this fall. A similar appointment process followed by an up-or-down retention vote is used for circuit judges in Missouris largest counties, but not for any counties near Pulaski County. According to the Appellate Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee, which rated judges of a 1-5 scale, Judge Sheffield received her highest scores for: attentiveness to arguments of all parties during oral argument (4.75); engaging in collegial decision-making (4.5); and being punctual for proceedings (4.5). The committee reviewed Sheffields written judicial opinions and its report stated that those opinions appear to be in accordance with constitutional and statutory law, commenting that she was “…very thoughtful when writing opinions, taking the time necessary to make sure the law has been followed.” According to the report, Her opinions provided a very logical flow of detail supporting the final decision.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 20:28:39 +0000