Jefferson City's municipal court judge, Cotton Walker, has filed for re-election to a fourth two-year term on the bench, subject to the April 4, 2017, election.
He sees no challenger on the horizon this term and said he's as committed as ever to the judicial office he's occupied in his hometown since 2011.
Walker sees his position as "not just a one-day-a-week job," he said. In addition to the responsibilities in his own court, Walker has served as vice president of the Missouri Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges Association. He regularly presents on judicial issues at conferences, including judicial ethics, court room security, alternative sentencing and legislation affecting Missouri courts.
He said the years as Jefferson City's municipal court judge, as well as the judge for Russellville, Holts Summit and other area jurisdictions who invite him to their benches on a regular basis, have broadened his respect for the system and the resident who finds himself or herself inside that system. Plaintiffs often need services beyond the mere settlement of their cases, he said.
It's for reasons like that Walker has sought the presence of Cole County mental health liaison Ted Solomon as a regular counselor in his courtroom.
And, at some point in his future, Walker admits he would enjoy the opportunity to serve at the circuit or associate circuit court level. "I think given my experience and background, I will make a good fit for the circuit court," he said Thursday.
Walker is married to Debra Walker, director of public and legislative affairs for the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The couple has two children. Their daughter, Jacquelyn, is a senior at Jefferson City High School. Their son, Quinn, is an eighth-grader at Lewis and Clark Middle School.
The judge is a 1984 graduate of Jefferson City High School, a 1988 graduate of Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in political science and history, and a 1995 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law.