SWINGLE WILL RUN FOR THIRD TERM AS CAPE COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY

JACKSON - Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle announced Wednesday that he will seek re-election to a third term this year.

"The job of prosecuting attorney is an exciting and challenging roller coaster ride through life, and I eagerly look forward to another four years," said Swingle, who has been prosecutor for eight years and served four years as assistant to former Prosecutor Larry Ferrell.

"I'm now in my 12th year at the prosecutor's office. I still feel the fire in my belly when a victim has been wronged. I still feel the glow of satisfaction when the justice system works as it should and the rights of the victim are protected."

The 38-year-old Republican announced his re-election bid at the sheriff's office Wednesday, before a group of 53 people. The crowd was predominately law enforcement officers who were attending a lecture Swingle presented on Search and Seizure law.

Swingle said he was pleased to announce his candidacy before the police officers and looked forward to continuing his work.

"I firmly believe I have the best job in Southeast Missouri. As prosecutor, I have on a daily basis the chance to try to bring a little justice to the world," said Swingle. "Case by case, I have the chance to help people, and to try to make our community a better and safer place to live.

"I promise the people of our county, and the officers in this room, that I will continue to work long and hard to ensure aggressive, honest and fair enforcement of the criminal laws in this county."

Swingle pledged to continue his efforts to assist with training of law enforcement officers, to ensure they are among the best-trained police officers in the state.

"As long as I'm prosecutor, everyone in this room knows that he or she can call anytime day or night and get the answers to the tricky and technical legal issues that can come up in criminal investigations on a moment's notice," said Swingle.

"As long as I'm prosecutor, the officers in this room can feel confident that violent criminals will not get out of Cape Girardeau County without a stiff sentence. As long as I'm prosecutor, the public can be confident that the rights of the victim are not forgotten as a case is winding its way through the criminal justice system."

During his time in the prosecutor's office, Swingle said he has prosecuted thousands of cases, including 70 jury trials. He had prosecuted 29 homicide cases and has sought the death penalty three times.

He has drafted more than 150 search warrants at all hours of the day and night, published articles on criminal law in "The Missouri Law Review," "The Journal of the Missouri Bar," and "The Missouri Prosecutor," and has written a chapter of the Missouri Bar Association's book "Criminal Practice in Missouri."

In addition, Swingle has taught law enforcement classes at the Missouri Highway Patrol Academy in Jefferson City; at the Missouri Prosecuting Attorney's Association Training Seminars; at the Law Enforcement Academy at Southeast Missouri State University; at Missouri Bar Association training seminars; and at the Cape County Sheriff's Department.

Born in Cape Girardeau, Swingle earned an A.B. degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1977, and a law degree from the same school in 1980. While in law school he was a member of the Missouri Law Review, the Order of Barristers, and chairman of the Board of Advocates. While a student, he worked three months as an intern for Supreme Court Judge Robert T. Donnelly.

Swingle and his wife, Candace, live with their two daughters in Cape Girardeau.

In December of 1992 Swingle was nominated and selected as one of 50 prosecutors in the United States to attend a week-long advanced training seminar at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Va.

Over the years, he has also completed seminars on office management, prosecuting drug cases, on criminal litigation, trial skills, and annual training sessions by the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.

Swingle is a member of the National District Attorneys Association, the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, and the National Trial Lawyers Association.

He has served as a special assistant attorney general and as a special prosecutor in difficult cases in other parts of the state.