Judge Scott Lipke announces candidacy for 32nd Judicial Circuit seat

Associate Circuit Judge Scott Lipke has announced his candidacy for Circuit Court judge, Division 1, in the 32nd Judicial Circuit.

On Friday, Gov. Mike Parson appointed the present seatholder, Judge Michael Gardner, whose term would expire Dec. 31, to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.

The 32nd Judicial Circuit covers Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties.

Prior to Lipke’s position as an associate circuit judge, he served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Cape Girardeau County, and according to www.ballotpedia.org, from 2003 to 2011, was a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives.

“I have always decided cases fairly and impartially, and I will continue to follow the law,” Lipke said in a news release issued Tuesday. “I would welcome the opportunity to serve the voters of the 32nd Judicial Circuit with honesty, integrity, and a commitment to the law.”

Lipke serves on the Circuit Court Budget Committee for the State of Missouri, and was appointed to that position by the Missouri Supreme Court. He is also president of the Missouri Association of Treatment Court Professionals, and a past board member of the Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges Association, while also having served as chairman of its Legislative Committee. He is co-chairman of the Juvenile Weighted Workload Study Group and is a member of the Legislative Committee for the Judicial Conference, according to the release.

Scott Lipke

The primary election for Circuit Court judge, Division 1 in the 32nd Judicial Circuit, will be Aug. 4. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.

Requests for information from the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office on whether additional candidates have filed for the position were not immediately returned Tuesday.