Signing Ceremony Announced for Mental Health Task Force

Robert (Bob) L. Rice, Associate Circuit Judge of Nodaway County, and Chair of the 4th Judicial Circuit Leadership Team on Mental Health and Criminal Justice, announced there will be a special public ceremony to celebrate the historic multi-county agreement of the counties of Gentry, Holt, Nodaway, and Worth, that creates the Northwest Missouri Cooperative Mental Health Board of Trustees. The celebration will include a ceremonial signing of the Inter-County Agreement where available county commissioners and county clerks will publicly sign the agreement. This celebration highlights how the communities are working together to address the mental health crisis in Northwest Missouri through collaboration and cooperation.

The celebration will occur on Friday, July 15, 2022, at 9:00 A.M. (CST), in the Boardroom, located on the third floor of the J.W. Jones Student Union on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.

Free parking is available in the lots around the Student Union that day and time.

The public and media members are invited to attend this celebration.

Agenda (approximate times)

9:00 A.M. – Welcome – Robert (Bob) L. Rice

9:05 A.M. – Introduction of special guests

9:10 A.M. – Remarks from special guests

9:20 A.M. – Remarks from the Commissions of Gentry, Holt, Nodaway, and Worth

9:40 A.M. – Ceremonial signing of agreement to create the Northwest Missouri Cooperative Mental Health Board of Trustees

9:45 A.M. – Questions from media and photos

10:00 A.M. – End of ceremony (media is welcome to stay and follow-up with any additional questions for the special guests)

Judge Roger Prokes to Retire from Bench

 Dear Governor Parson and Chief Justice Wilson:

I will be retiring as Presiding Circuit Judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit at the end of the work day, November 9th, 2021. This decision is driven by my turning 70 years of age on the following day.

It has been a true joy, and honor, to serve the State of Missouri, the Judiciary, and, particularly, the fine people of Atchison, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway, and Worth Counties. I firmly believe that we are all put on earth to help each other. My time with the Court placed me in a special position to attempt to carry out that mission. I pray I was successful.

My best to all, especially, the voters of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, who allowed me to serve.

Respectfully,

(Signed)

Roger M. Prokes

Emergency COVID Order Signed for Gentry County Courts

On Thursday, Presiding Judge Roger Prokes signed the following emergency order for the Gentry County Court System:

–No public access will be allowed in court offices;

–All Court employees will wear masks, except while in their office and not dealing with the public;

–All members of the public, judiciary, and law enforcement in the courthouse for Court related business must wear a face mask, covering nose and mouth;

–All members of the public, judiciary, and law enforcement in the courthouse for Court related business will be subject to 6-foot social distancing, which will be vigorously enforced in the courtrooms and common areas;

–Any judge may require the public to be subject to having their temperature taken, and if it reads 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, will not be admitted or asked to leave.

The order only applies to the court system in Gentry County. It does not apply to the entire courthouse.

Miller, 4th Circuit Judges Face Increased Workload

The judges in extreme Northwest Missouri are being called upon to frequently handle cases outside of their circuit. The Fourth Judicial Circuit of Missouri consists of Atchison, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth counties. The elected Associate Circuit Judges from these counties are respectively Zel Fischer, Edward Manring, Wm. S. Richards, Glen A. Dietrich and Joel Miller. Roger Prokes serves as Circuit Judge for the circuit.
These judges have an obligation to handle all non-municipal cases within their 5 county area. Although these judges are elected locally, they have a state wide responsibility to serve when directed by the Missouri Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has authority to assign local trial judges to other Missouri counties to meet existing needs. It has sent judges from the Fourth Circuit to handle cases throughout the state. This typically occurs where a local judge has a conflict of interest or is disqualified. Within the last year, assignments have been received to handle a variety of cases including: a case where a judge from eastern Missouri was sued in a family dispute over his mother’s estate; a murder case from Harrison County; an armed robbery from Harrison County; juvenile backlog in Clay County; and a potential class action suit from Ray County. In that same year Fourth Circuit judges were specially sent to Jackson County to handle cases involving charges of wrongful employment terminations at a major law firm, the theft by an employee of over $200,000 in computer equipment from the Jackson County courts, the dissolution of marriage of a prominent attorney and a civil action between a major brokerage and a small software firm which resulted in a $4.2 million judgment.
Recently, Roger Prokes sat as a Special Judge hearing arguments with the Missouri Supreme Court.
It is anticipated that starting in July of 2008, in addition to on-going special assignments, that each of the judges of the Fourth Circuit will be ordered to serve 4 weeks per year in Jackson County. In the past these Fourth Circuit Judges have served as needed, up to two weeks per year, in Jackson, St Louis, Greene and Stone Counties. The required twenty-four weeks of assignments solely to Jackson County is an effort by the Chief Justice to reduce backlog in that metropolitan county which contains Kansas City. These assignments are mandatory and may result in delays in setting cases or the cancellation of regularly scheduled dockets in the 4th Circuit.
In response to these demands, the judges of the Fourth Circuit are developing plans to increase their efficiency in serving their home communities while meeting the new out of circuit requirements.