Colby Smith-Hynes of the Hillsboro area has announced plans to run as a Republican candidate for Jefferson County Division 12 associate judge this fall. State Rep. Renee Reuter, R-Imperial, announced last week that she also plans to run for the position.
The current Div. 12 associate judge is Antonio “Tony” Manansala, who has said he will not seek reelection when his term ends in January 2027.
Candidate filings for the Aug. 4 primary begin on Feb. 24 and close on March 31. Primary winners from each political party will face off for the office in the Nov. 3 general election.
Smith-Hynes, 55, the deputy director of legal services for the Jefferson County Juvenile Office, has more than 20 years of municipal judge experience in Jefferson County.
He has been the municipal judge for Byrnes Mill since 2006 and Pevely since 2022.
He previously was the municipal judge for Hillsboro and Herculaneum and a municipal prosecutor for Festus.
“I’ve been in (the Jefferson County Courthouse) many times a week for 22 years,” he said. “I know everyone there. I have a pretty wide background.”
He said his law background includes domestic relations, real estate, government and criminal matters. He said as a municipal judge he has presided over about 30,000 cases.
“I know the procedures; I know the law,” he said. “I can walk in on day one and handle a docket.”
Smith-Hynes said efficiency of the courts is important because litigants want their cases resolved in a timely fashion.
“I am seeking this position because I believe the citizens of Jefferson County deserve a judiciary that is fair, impartial and grounded in the rule of law,” he said. “Judges must approach every case with integrity, sound judgment and respect for the individuals and families whose lives are impacted by the court’s decisions.
“Throughout my career, I have been committed to fairness, professionalism and public service. If elected, I will work diligently to ensure that every matter before the court is handled with care, efficiency and respect for the law.”
Smith-Hynes graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in political communications in 1996 and earned a juris doctorate in 1999 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He served in the U.S. Air Force from January 1989 to March 1990 and in the reserves from March 1990 to December 1994. From 2022-2024, he was a senior trial attorney for the Juvenile Office for two years. From 2007-2022, he was an attorney and managing member of Smith-Hynes Law Firm.
He was an associate attorney with Breeze, Roberts, Ponder-Bates & Zimmer from 2002-2007.
He is currently a member of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association Board of Directors and the Missouri Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges Association Board of Directors.
Smith-Hynes has three children: Faith, Sarah and Brendan.