Four Republicans will vie for the Jefferson County Div. 11 associate judge position that has been vacant since Ed Page was appointed to succeed Darrell Missey as Div. 2 circuit judge.
Missey left the county’s 23rd Circuit after Gov. Mike Parson appointed him as director of the state’s Children’s Division.
Because no Democrats filed for the seat, the winner of the Republican Party’s primary in the Aug. 2 election will be sworn in to the four-year term in January.
Jacob T. Costello, Lucas Null, Carl W. “Wes” Yates III and Julianne “Juli” Platz Hand are seeking to fill the open seat.
Associate circuit judges, who serve four-year terms, are paid $146,812 a year.
COSTELLO, 46, of Imperial is a Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney. He has one child. He attended Jefferson College from 1996-1998, earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2000, completed SLU-Law Mediation Training in 2003 and earned his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law in 2003.
Social media: Facebook: Jacob Costello
NULL, 37, of Arnold owns the Null Law Firm, a general practice law firm, and is the business manager for Dr. David J. Stansfield. He and his wife, Jessica, have five children. He graduated from St. Pius X High School in 2003, received a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Missouri in Columbia in 2008 and received a law degree from St. Louis University School of Law in 2014.
Website: nullforjudge.org
YATES, 63, of Hillsboro is the Jefferson County counselor. He and his wife, Bridget, have a daughter. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz., from 1986-1987 before transferring to Central Missouri State University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aviation in 1990, attended State Fair Community College from 1990-1991 and received a law degree from St. Louis University School of Law in 1994.
HAND, 63, of De Soto has been the Jefferson County municipal judge for 3 1/2 years and is a senior partner at Kramer, Hand, Buchholz and Partney. She and her husband, Larry, have three children and two grandchildren. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management in 1990 and a law degree in 1993 from Oklahoma State University.
Website/social media: Website: judgejulihand.com; Facebook: Judge Juli Hand for Jefferson County
What experience do you have (elected office, civic organizations, volunteer work, etc.) that might serve you well in this position?
Costello: I have never held public office but have served our community through our prosecuting attorney’s office, where I am currently responsible for cases in alternative (drug) treatment court. I serve as a board member for a non-profit organization and formerly volunteered and was a mentor for Project Kids.
Null: I am the council chairman for St. Joseph Catholic Parish in Imperial and vice chairman of the St. Pius X High School board of directors. Years of service and leadership will help me adapt to managing a courtroom and overcoming obstacles as a judge. I am also a youth soccer, basketball and baseball coach, which has taught me the patience I will need to be an impartial judge.
Yates: I was the Div. 1 Circuit judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court, have served a total of nine years as the Jefferson County counselor, was an attorney for the city of St. Louis for nine years and was in private practice for three years in Sedalia.
Hand: I founded and built a successful law firm. I serve on the Birthright and Hillsboro Community Garden boards of directors and served on the boards of directors for Comtrea and De Soto Rotary Club. I also have been a member of the De Soto Rotary Club, Hillsboro Rotary Club, Optimist Club and Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce. I also volunteered to provide legal services for Eastern Missouri Backpacks for Kids and volunteered at Pony Bird and Santa’s helpers children’s division gift collection.
What training and experiences have equipped you for this position?
Costello: I had a general law practice for eight years and have spent the last 11 years in the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. I have stood by victims seeking closure to an injustice and held guilty people accountable. I have defended those accused of a crime and have been on both sides of civil litigation. I understand the difficulties people are facing when they appear in court. I have knowledge of a variety of areas of the law and a genuine understanding of people’s circumstances.
Null: I have handled civil cases that associated circuit judges primarily preside over, which often are for misdemeanor crimes, infractions and have $25,000 or less at issue. As a young attorney, I learned how to efficiently handle a large caseload, which is vital for a judge. My experience managing businesses and people will allow me to be an efficient and effective judge.
Yates: I have more than 24 years of experience as a government or municipal attorney, and I handled a variety of civil and criminal cases as well as trials as a Circuit Court judge. I also have handled two maritime cases, which is important with our developing port.
Hand: Serving as a municipal judge and practicing law in Jefferson County for 25 years, the last 23 at Kramer, Hand, Buchholz & Partney, have prepared me for this role. I have practiced law in three states handling family, juvenile, guardianship, adoption, criminal, guardian ad litem, bankruptcy, personal injury, school law, condemnation proceedings, franchise, corporate, employment, oil and gas, mergers and acquisition cases as well as being a certified mediator. I also clerked for justices in the U.S. District Court of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Supreme Court and Oklahoma Court of Appeals and was an editor for the Tulsa Law Review.
Why should voters elect you to this position? List your goals, if elected.
Costello: Voters should elect the candidate they believe will best serve our community. I have had the pleasure of doing that for the past 11 years in our prosecutor’s office. I am in the courthouse on a daily basis and have seen what is effective and efficient from the bench. I have also assisted people through life-changing events and often understand how they got there.
Null: I am a lifelong Jefferson Countian and conservative. I care about Jefferson County, where my wife and I are raising our five children, and I want to use my gifts to serve my community. My primary goal, once elected, is to work hard and be the best judge I can be for Jefferson County and for every person that appears in my courtroom.
I will approach each person as an individual, with respect and dignity, safeguard due process by consciously applying the law equally and use my work ethic to make my courtroom a respectful and efficient environment.
Yates: I don’t want the voters to elect me, I want the voters to “hire” me to do a job. The voter’s tax money pays my salary, and I am expected to be at work regularly just like the residents and to show up on time, deliver fair justice with an open mind and follow the law. If hired through the election process, my goal is to move my docket in a timely fashion, dispense justice fairly, equally and to cooperate with the other judges, prosecutors, defense counsel and those that come before me.
Hand: As a lifelong Republican, I am conservative in my values and not afraid of hard work. I am the current municipal judge for the county and have 25 years of legal experience working every day exclusively in Jefferson County. I don’t need a tour of our courthouse. As circuit judge, I know that I can make a difference for the residents of Jefferson County by increasing transparency and accountability of the judiciary, improving efficiency of the courts by implementing fast-track mediation, lower cost for parties by streamlining court cases and implementing a jurist charity for disadvantaged and trafficked youth.