Missouri Chief Justice Paul C. Wilson honored the 4th Judicial Circuit during an awards breakfast Thursday, September 15, for timely managing and processing its court cases during fiscal 2021. The ceremony was held during a joint annual meeting of The Judicial Conference of Missouri (the organization of all the state judges) and The Missouri Bar (the organization of all lawyers licensed in the state) in Springfield.

“We in the courts are cognizant that every case is the most important to the people involved, and they are anxious for the courts to resolve their legal disputes promptly and efficiently,” Wilson said. “These time standards allow courts to balance efficiency with effectiveness. They encourage courts to move all their cases as expeditiously as possible while recognizing some cases, due to their complexity, may require more time to conclude.”

Named for the late judge’s service as the first chair of the state judiciary’s time standards monitoring committee, the Daniel J. O’Toole Award recognizes circuit courts’ excellence in service and delivering timely justice to the public. A circuit can earn the award by disposing of a designated percentage of cases in at least five of 10 case categories within a specified time and being within at least 5 percent of achieving the remaining time standards. The time standards have been in effect since 1997.

To qualify for this year’s award, the 4th Circuit (encompassing Atchison, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth counties) met half the time standards and was within at least two percent of meeting the remaining standards. It is the 11th time the 4th Circuit has qualified for the O’Toole Award.

The circuit’s presiding judge, Judge Corey K. Herron, said, “Due to COVID, fiscal year 2021 posed unprecedented challenges for the courts. Because of the continued dedication and hard work of all involved – court clerks, attorneys and judges – the Fourth Circuit was able to meet those challenges and maintain timely case processing.  I could not be prouder of the hard work and dedication of the local bar and court staff shown under extreme circumstances to fulfill the needs of the public we all serve.”