Stoddard County gets assistant prosecutor

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Described as a "tested litigator," Dexter, Mo., lawyer Rance Butler joined the Stoddard County prosecuting attorney's office Wednesday as an assistant prosecutor.

Butler was nominated for the position by Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn, who said Butler's nomination was approved by Presiding Circuit Judge Stephen Sharp.

Welborn said Butler will be handling child support cases, as well as traffic court and "most anything else he wants to do. He's a pretty active guy. I think he'll be quickly acclimated and involved" with the office.

The action, according to Welborn, was made possible through the authorization of the position of assistant prosecuting attorney earlier this year by the Stoddard County Commission.

Hiring an assistant, Welborn said, was necessary due to the dramatic increase of the office caseload, coupled with the increasing complexity in major cases.

With the growing caseload, Welborn needed help, Butler said.

"He's the only prosecutor around here that doesn't have an assistant," Butler said. "Stoddard County has enough crime that he needed an assistant."

During his career, Butler said, he has tried "hundreds and hundreds of cases" against Welborn.

Butler said he and Welborn are each familiar with the other's personalities and abilities and that he is familiar with the system.

"The rules are the same, whether you're a defense attorney or a prosecutor," Butler said. "The procedures are the same, so there will be very little learning for me to do."

Butler, who has been practicing law since 1999, also said he will handle some civil matters for the juvenile office, and if he has "extra time during the week," he may have a limited private, civil practice.

"It's really a full-time job; I'm considered a full-time employee of the county," Butler said. "This is my main responsibility."