AREA JUDGES RUN UNOPPOSED

Faces seldom change in Missouri courts when judges run for election.

In four judicial circuits in Southeast Missouri, four circuit judges are running unopposed for election. The four judges, who average more than 10 years of service on the bench, have only faced opponents in general or primary elections four times combined.

Judge Fred Copeland of New Madrid, Mo., who last ran against another candidate in 1988, said the problems of low pay compared to an attorney in private practice and a relative lack of lawyers in rural areas have created uncontested elections.

After a $6,000 raise approved by the state legislature earlier this year, circuit judges earn $105,000 annually.

But compared to attorney's salaries ranging from $125,000 to $150,000 or more in rural Missouri, it's still behind, said John W. Briscoe, president of the Missouri Bar Association.

"When a judge is elected in a contested race, he has to give up his business and private practice," Briscoe said. "Many lawyers aren't willing to do that."

A fear exists among some attorneys that if they run against a judge and lose, they'll suffer retribution in some form when they later appear in court, Briscoe said. "If the other guy wins, it could put the loser in a bad position," he said.

With roughly 100 attorneys in Cape Girardeau County, the number of qualified judge candidates is more limited than any other political office, said John Grimm, who is running for his second term as circuit judge from Cape Girardeau.

"Only people licensed to practice law can run," Grimm said. "On the other hand, you have about 40,000 or 50,000 people in the county who meet the minimum requirements to run for clerk."

Until 1945, Missouri allowed anyone "learned in law" to be chosen as a judge. The legal language was then changed to "licensed to practice."

Even though Stephen Sharp of Kennett, Mo., has never had an opponent in his 10 years as circuit judge, he said it hasn't made him aloof. It has given him more time to devote to his job, as opposed to distractions that come from running an election campaign.

"I still try to be out in the community and accessible," Sharp said. "I just don't go around knocking on doors because I don't have to."

David Dolan of Sikeston, Mo., ran the most recent campaign for re-election. His Democratic Party primary against Associate Circuit Judge David Mann was highly competitive and expensive, he said.

During the general election, Dolan said he is not involved in any active campaigning besides meeting with various service groups. If he did run a campaign now, it would only grab voters' attention away from contested races.

Both Dolan and Sharp are highlighting the work of drug court in their counties. Drug charges are the fastest growing part of the court docket, Sharp said, so the drug court has allowed him to put offenders caught with relatively small amounts into an intensive one-year program that can end in jail time if not completed.

Grimm is proud that he has been able to take a leading role in establishing a mediation program for handling domestic disputes outside of court in the 32nd District. He also notes that for the second year in a row, his district has been recognized as best in the state for quick disposition of cases.

AREA CIRCUIT JUDGES

Stephen R. Sharp

Age: 56

Hometown: Kennett, Mo.

Party: Democrat

Family: Married. He and his wife, Patt, have no children.

Affiliations: Baptist Church; Memphis State University Law Review; Chamber of Commerce; Lions Club; American Legion; Missouri Farm Bureau; American and Dunklin County bar associations.

Political history: Elected to the Missouri Senate in 1984, 1988. Appointed judge for Circuit 35 in 1990. Elected as judge in 1992, 1994.

Endorsements: None.

David A. Dolan

Age: 46

Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.

Party: Democrat

Family: Married. He and his wife, Julie, have two children.

Affiliations: St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church; Knights of Columbus fourth degree; National Association of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; Missouri Juvenile Justice Association; president of the Missouri Associations of Drug Court Professionals; member of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals; president of Sikeston Youth Soccer; coach for Sikeston Little League; Rotary Club; Sikeston Jaycees; SCM Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity; ODK; bar governor for University of Memphis School of Law; Missouri and Tennessee bar associations.

Political history: Elected associate circuit judge for Circuit 34 in 1992, 1994. Appointed circuit judge 1998. Elected circuit judge 1998.

Endorsements: None.

Fred W. Copeland

Age: 45

Hometown: Coronado, Calif.

Party: Democrat.

Family: Married. He and his wife, Sherry Lee, have three children.

Affiliations: United Methodist Church; Optimist; Eagles; Phi Delta Phi.

Political history: Elected circuit judge for Circuit 34 in 1988, 1994.

Endorsements: None.

John W. Grimm

Age: 38

Hometown: Cape Girardeau

Party: Democrat

Family: Married. He and his wife, Michelle, have one child.

Affiliations: St. Andrew Lutheran Church; Delta Theta Phi; Sigma Chi; board of directors of the Community Counseling Center Foundation; board of trustees for Southeast Missouri Hospital; member of American, Missouri and Cape Girardeau County bar associations.

Political history: Appointed circuit judge for Circuit 32 in 1993. Elected in 1994.

Endorsements: None.