Jefferson City Prosecutor Gaylin Carver has filed for re-election to her second term.
Carver has been a partner at Carver & Michael law firm since 2009 and was formerly a Cole County assistant prosecuting attorney. She was elected as city prosecutor in 2019.
Carver, who made her candidacy official on the first day of filing Dec. 15, said she is running to continue serving Jefferson City residents.
"I've really enjoyed serving the citizens of Jefferson City, so I wanted to continue in that position," Carver said. "There's some things I've learned since I started the process, and I feel like I've mastered those, so it makes sense to continue in that position."
Looking forward, Carver said the municipal court is slated to be included in Show Me Courts, which will put Jefferson City court cases on Case.net, a website that allows court filings to be viewed publicly.
"If you file something, whether it's civil or criminal in state or county court, you can see it on Case Net," Carver said. "By us going on Show Me Courts, people would be able to look up their case on Case.net and see when their next court date is or look at their ticket if they haven't seen the charge. It gives people more public access."
Carver said this is a positive change for the municipal court. The process will take some time and is slated to begin in January or February.
If re-elected, Carver said, she would like to see some of the city's ordinances updated during her next term to meet the Missouri Supreme Court's rule on municipal courts and municipal charges.
"We've been following the Supreme Court rules and those mandates that were handed down by the Supreme Court, but we probably just need to make a few minor changes to the ordinance so they accurately reflect what the Supreme Court has mandated," Carver said.
The position of Jefferson City prosecutor is elected every two years and is not term-limited.
City prosecutor is one of seven municipal seats that will be on the April 6 ballot in Jefferson City. Voters will also decide five City Council members and the municipal judge.
As of Monday, no other candidate had filed for the position of city prosecutor. Candidate filing closes Jan. 19.