Judge Corey K. Herron has been assigned acting presiding judge at the fourth judicial circuit.
By Margaret Slayton, Mound City News
Judge Corey K. Herron from Rock Port, Missouri, has been assigned acting presiding judge at the fourth judicial circuit by the Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. Judge Herron is the associate circuit judge in Atchison County.
He was appointed by Chief Justice Paul Wilson of the Missouri Supreme Court to fill the position of former presiding judge Roger Prokes after he retired on November 9. Judge Herron will act as interim presiding circuit judge at the fourth judicial circuit from November 10 until a circuit judge takes office pursuant to an appointment by the governor.
He will preside over circuit court proceedings and will handle all administrative duties of the circuit.
Judge Herron became the associate circuit judge in the fourth judicial circuit in Atchison County in December 2008. He presided over civil, probate and criminal cases including serious felony with civil bench and jury trails throughout the 4th circuit. He did transfer work in other counties including Jackson.
In 2018 he became a 4th circuit treatment court judge and he has presided over adult alternative treatment court proceedings. He said the funding available for substance abuse treatment court can fluctuate from one year to the next and does not come from county funds. It costs around $300 a month per participant.
“It’s a feel good program in a really true true sense because it does work for individuals,” Judge Herron said. “It’s cost effective. States select to fund it because crime rate does go down among those people that graduate the program. I haven’t seen anything better.”
He said the program can use medicine as treatment under doctor supervision. The purpose of the medicine is to reduce the desire and cravings for the individual to use the illegal substance.
“I’ve seen it firsthand and I’m convinced it works,” Judge Herron said. “It’s not intuitive, but when you look at is as any other disease that you are treating with medication, it makes sense.”
He said the continued funding of these resources helps individuals and families.
“Treatment court and mental health issues being addressed are important because they affect everything we do,” Judge Herron said. “The need is so great.”
Herron began as a private attorney in Trenton, Missouri, in 1996. He worked at the law firm of Andereck, Evans, Milne, Widger & Johnson. He engaged in the general practice of law with emphasis on personal injury defense, domestic litigation, rural electric cooperative counsel, municipal attorney/prosecution and probate practice until 2008.
Herron graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He has also served in the community as president of Rock Port Rotary, the Community Hospital-Fairfax Board of Directors and was a past Rock Port Cub Scout Pack 59 Cubmaster.
