Addressing code violations and better addressing citizen needs are priorities for both municipal judge candidates in Jefferson City.
Local attorneys Scott Evans and Angela Silvey are seeking the position, which was left open in November when Brian Stumpe was elected Cole County associate circuit judge.
The News Tribune hosted a virtual forum Tuesday for Evans and Silvey to discuss issues and respond to questions from the community.
The municipal court largely deals with minor crimes such as traffic issues, code violations and petty theft.
One issue Silvey said she's heard residents complain about is a lack of accountability for code violations; Evans agreed. Both suggested they would be in favor of finding a way to hold landlords more accountable for code violations.
The candidates noted they chose Jefferson City as their destination.
Evans didn't grow up in Jefferson City but came to the area for college and stayed.
His hope, Evans said, is to give back to the community.
"I'm running for judge to take some ownership in that community and to help do my part to make sure that the community is as good as it can be and as safe as it can be for my family and my son," he said.
Silvey moved to Jefferson City when she was young and lived in Kansas City for several years before coming back to practice law.
She's also looking to give back to the community through the municipal judge position.
"I was a single mom for several years before I met my husband. I've wanted to go to law school since I was in high school, and I didn't get that opportunity because I was a single mom. And my husband gave me that opportunity, and I thank God every day for everything I have because of that opportunity," Silvey said. "And so that's why I really focus on giving back and doing things that help the community."
One of the biggest assets of the court right now, she said, is the staff and their commitment to the job.
"They're quick to answer questions and help guide you to get things that you need," she said. "They have kind of shifted to an online where you can submit your entries and things like that, but they're easy to work with. I think that is beneficial for people in the community; that's beneficial for attorneys."
Evans also said the staff is a strong asset to the court and added specifically the flexibility they've shown over the last year trying to adapt to COVID-19 protocols.
"The municipal court's ability to just kind of run with it and make it work and make it happen is a testament to the people that are there because you're only as good as the staff that's around you, and that's the way it works in the courthouse," he said.
However, there are issues the candidates would like to address.
Evans said there's a number of areas he'd like to improve, but two of the main things he said are addressing repeat offenders and ensuring people pay their fines rather than letting it sit.
"If we've got someone that comes in and they steal once or they steal twice and maybe we can get them some help, that's one thing," he said. "But if they're in there every other month on the same type of charge, I'm not going to have much patience for that.
"Also on that payment docket, I get very frustrated when people do not accept responsibility for some of their obligations. If you have a fine, let's say it's 100 bucks and you show up, month after month and you haven't made a single payment. Well, to me, you have no commitment or desire or even intention to pay that fine."
Silvey also argued a lack of people paying fines is a problem within the current system. There's options to address those, she said.
"There are some municipal courts that won't let someone plea until they have the money to pay the fine. That ensures that the day they plea, they also pay the fine and court costs and then their cases done or some courts say you can divide your payment into two payments, and after those two payments, then you have to come back before the court," she said. "I've seen where courts have allowed people to do community service, and for every hour that they complete community service they get $10 off of their bill."