
By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A race between Republicans next week will decide who succeeds 5th Judicial Circuit Judge Patrick Robb, who is retiring from the bench.
Andrew County Prosecutor Monica Morrey and Buchanan County Drug Strike Force investigator Terry White are on the Republican primary ballot. No Democrat filed for the position.

Morrey is the Andrew County Prosecutor, a part-time position, while working in a private practice with her father. Morrey served as an assistant Buchanan County prosecutor for four years. She says she had thought she would make a career of being a prosecutor.
“The fact that I am running for judge now is testament to, above and beyond my love of being a prosecutor, is my desire to see these cases appropriately and efficiently handled,” Morrey tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.

As for White, he has spent 40 years in law enforcement, recently earning his law degree.
“I wanted to be a prosecutor or judge,” White tells Birr after appearing on the KFEQ Hotline after Morrey. “And when Judge Robb’s position came open as he aged out, I thought it was an appropriate time, for many reasons. Number one, I’m 61, going to be 62 pretty quick and I’m probably one of the older active people on the street itself.”
White now serves as an investigator for the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force. White also works as an assistant prosecutor in Nodaway County and is the Tardio Municipal Judge.
While Morrey touts her experience in the courtroom, White counters he has a wide array of experience at all three levels of law enforcement.
“As a law enforcement officer, I’ve testified in numerous hearings, numerous trials,” White says. “I can’t even tell you through the 40 years how many there have been. As assistant prosecutor, I’ve reviewed thousands of cases. I have done numerous preliminary hearings.”
But Morrey says experience in the courtroom is vitally important.
“I’ve not seen it happen where one can be experienced in that capacity without actually having been in the fire, in a trial, in jury trials, litigating and arguing these matters themselves,” Morrey says.
Morrey says her experience in her current role as well as in private practice as well as her previous work as an assistant Buchanan County prosecutor is invaluable.
“A judge will be deciding the same issues that I would litigate and argue on as a prosecutor and as a civil attorney,” Morrey says. “And they have to be able to move quickly and make the right and correct decisions according to Missouri law.”
White says one of the primary reasons he entered the rate is because of his frustration with what he calls non-aggressive sentencing.
“When you are a repetitive, repeat, and violent offender, that you victimized the community repeatedly, I think you should go out of the community for as long as legally possible,” White says. “That is my belief.”
The two appear on the ballot Tuesday, August 6th.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.