Cole County voters on Friday received another postcard from the Washington, D.C.-based Republican State Leadership Committee, promoting arguments for voting against incumbent Democrat Pat Joyce in her re-election bid for a third six-year term as a circuit judge.
Republican Brian Stumpe, currently the Jefferson City municipal prosecutor, is challenging Joyce in the Nov. 4 election. But his name never is mentioned in the RSLC advertising. And, because of federal laws, he has no say in, nor control over, the contents of the RSLC's advertising.
Since Oct. 1, the national group has donated $268,750 to the RSLC-Missouri PAC. But the political action committee has given only the first $100,000 directly to Stumpe's campaign, while using the rest of the money for advertising.
The new postcard ad shows a newspaper-style, classified ad "seeking experienced individual for Cole County judge," and listing the "minimum requirements" as having "the best interests of the people in mind," being able "to efficiently manage time" and having "high ethical standards."
The postcard then alleges that "Joyce Fails to Meet These Basic Requirements," says other employees who "Failed At Your Job (would) Get Fired" and urges voters: "Don't hire Patricia Joyce on Nov. 4th."
In an email Saturday, Joyce said: "This latest ad by Brian Stumpe's outside supporters continues a smear campaign built on lies and distortions. The group behind the ad shows that it understands and cares little about our county or our courts."
She said her qualifications for the judge's job are "clearly superior" to Stumpe's, including "12 years' experience handling criminal cases in the Cole County Prosecuting Attorney's office and 20 years as judge, handling all types of civil and criminal matters, including hundreds of jury trials and two death penalty cases."
Stumpe, she added, "has been a lawyer for less than 10 years and has never prosecuted a criminal jury case, never tried a criminal jury case, and never presided over a criminal jury case."
• One argument raised for the first time in the ad campaign is that Joyce is the state's "Most Reversed Judge," with "more cases than any other judge in Missouri reversed by higher courts."
The postcard does not cite any numbers, but has a footnote with link to a June 2012 Missouri Lawyers Weekly study of appeals and Supreme Court cases, only for 2011.
Joyce said Saturday, "The important fact to know is this: During my time on the bench, I have never had a criminal case returned for trial error, and that is what matters most to the people of Cole County."
• The postcard claims Joyce has "Questionable Ethical Standards," because "the majority of Joyce's campaign has been funded by lawyers and law firms," including many who "try cases in her court."
Although the Missouri Supreme Court's "Rules of Professional Conduct" allow those donations from "any person or group, including any person or group likely to appear before the judge," and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that attorneys have a right to support judicial candidates whom they believe will do the best job," the RSLC postcard says that her taking contributions from lawyers "is a serious ethical issue that brings Joyce's motives into question."