Amanda Oesch to run for Scott County prosecuting attorney

Benton, Missouri, area lawyer Amanda Oesch announced she will run for Scott County prosecuting attorney.

�For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be an attorney. But not just any kind of attorney ... a Prosecutor. My heart, my passion is prosecution,� she said in a post on her campaign�s Facebook page.

The filing period begins Feb. 27.

Oesch has served as prosecuting attorney in Carter County, Missouri, since being appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon in 2016 to fill a vacancy.

Oesch, who grew up in Van Buren in Carter County, has a law practice in Charleston, Missouri, and also serves as city attorney for Oran, Missouri.

She has lived in Scott County since 2004.

�I have loved the opportunity of representing my hometown as the Carter County prosecuting attorney,� she posted on Facebook. But she said her home is now Scott County where she resides with her husband, Jeremy, and their 9-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter.

�It is time for me to take the next step in my career,� she said, adding she is �ecstatic� to announce her candidacy for Scott County prosecutor.

The Republican candidate said Tuesday this will be her first run for public office.

Oesch, who graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Law, worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Scott County from 2007 to 2012.

Her filing could set up a contest with Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd, a Democrat, who was once her boss. Boyd, however, has not announced whether he will seek re-election.

Boyd, who has served as Scott County�s first full-time prosecuting attorney since 2003, has been elected to four consecutive four-year terms.

A member of the Missouri National Guard, Boyd has been serving overseas since spring 2017. He is scheduled to return home this spring.

Oesch said she handled domestic and sexual violence cases when she worked for Boyd. As a result, she said she has an interest in aiding crime victims.

�The justice system is scary for victims,� she said.

Oesch, who also has worked as a defense attorney, said a prosecutor also must make certain the right defendant is charged and prosecuted in a criminal case.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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