Limbaugh to seek another term as county prosecutor

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Limbaugh said Wednesday he brings "fresh eyes but great mentors" to the position he has held for 14 months.

Limbaugh, a Republican, on Wednesday announced his intention to seek another term as county prosecutor.

He has held the position since January 2013, when he was appointed to replace Morley Swingle, who left to take a job as a federal prosecutor.

Limbaugh is the son of U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr. His father and grandfather, Stephen Limbaugh Sr., both are former county prosecutors.

"I am very fortunate to have my father and grandfather as mentors, but ... I am my own person. I look at this job with fresh eyes but great mentors," Chris Limbaugh said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

Limbaugh said one of his major accomplishments since taking office was securing state funds to add a prosecutor devoted exclusively to child-support cases.

"That's a great benefit to this office that we were able to add that position fairly recently," he said. " ... That frees up prosecutors that handle criminal work to focus on criminal work."

Looking ahead, Limbaugh said he hopes to improve courtroom technology, adding such tools as television monitors and computer software that will assist prosecutors in presenting evidence to a jury.

"Showing more visuals to the jury greatly increases your chances that they're going to understand the case," he said.

Limbaugh said he also anticipates "an overhaul" of Missouri's criminal code in the next few years, so adapting to those changes will be a major focus for his office.

Before Limbaugh's appointment, the nonpartisan Cape Girardeau Police Officers Association endorsed another candidate for the position, citing Limbaugh's lack of experience as a concern.

Limbaugh, 29, noted that young prosecutors are hardly unusual in Cape Girardeau County. He said his father, grandfather and former prosecuting attorney Larry Ferrell all were in their late 20s when they took office.

All prosecutors, regardless of age or experience, have room to grow, Limbaugh said.

"I feel the best approach to take is ... that there's always more to learn, and there's always ways to improve," he said.

A good staff helps, Limbaugh said.

"I'm very fortunate to be surrounded by a very experienced staff and very experienced assistant prosecuting attorneys," he said. " ... Working with them has made my job much easier and has allowed me to prosecute cases effectively as well."

Limbaugh said cases are distributed based on individual attorneys' strengths.

"Take, for example, Julie Hunter," he said. "She has been with the office for almost 15 years, and she is excellent at prosecuting child sex cases. She relates very well with children and is able to make a comfortable atmosphere in the courtroom for these victims."

Another assistant prosecutor, Angel Woodruff, is particularly effective at winning homicide cases, Limbaugh said.

He praised Woodruff's work in securing a guilty plea from Clay Waller, who received a 20-year prison sentence last year for killing his estranged wife, Jacque, and burying her body in a secluded area near McClure, Ill.

"Angel Woodruff, the first assistant, was there from the start of the case through the finish, so she was the most heavily involved," Limbaugh said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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