Three candidates vie for Andrew County associate circuit judge position

Jul. 22—Three Republican candidates are gearing up for the Andrew County associate circuit judge primary election on Aug. 2.

David Peppard, Emily Bauman and Ron Findley are competing for the role.

Peppard grew up in the St. Joseph area. He attended Truman State University for his bachelor's degree and the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1992 for his law degree.

In the past, Peppard has worked as a municipal judge and assistant city attorney and prosecutor. He has been practicing law for 30 years and currently owns his own law practice, Peppard Law Office. He said that his practice doesn't just cover criminal lawsuits but civil lawsuits and probate law.

Peppard said his experience makes him a well-rounded candidate.

"I think that's my real strength among the three candidates," Peppard said. "I'm the one that not only has 30 years of experience, but 30 years of experience doing all of these things and not just car wreck cases or city attorney work."

Bauman grew up in rural Andrew County. She attended Missouri Western State University for her bachelor's degree and the University of Kansas in 2010 for her law degree.

After graduation, Bauman joined a personal injury firm in St. Joseph. She has worked as a legal assistant and worked in Jackson County for a probate and real estate law firm. She also owns her own law firm, Emily M. Bauman Attorney at Law, and serves as prosecuting attorney.

Bauman said since being a prosecuting attorney for nearly a decade, she has prosecuted over 1,000 cases in Andrew County alone.

"I see how crime affects our communities on a regular basis, and I know what it takes to deter criminals and stop the influx in crime in Andrew County," Bauman said. "We need someone with that focus on the bench to protect our families and our children, as well as our neighbors and friends in the community."

Findley was born and raised in St. Joseph. He got his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1985. Following his graduation, he worked at a law firm in Kansas City. He quickly returned to St. Joseph where he opened his own private law firm, Findley Law Firm.

He said throughout his time working in the courtrooms of Northwest Missouri for the past 36 years, he's handled over 4,000 different types of cases.

Findley holds many distinctions in regard to his law career.

"I have the highest rating by Martindale Hubbell of attorneys," Findley said. "The National Registry of Lawyers has selected me and recognized me for being in the upper 1% of all attorneys across the nation. I've also been a mediator for 23 years, the last 13 of which I have been approved by all the judges of Andrew and Buchanan County unanimously to hear cases."

Peppard said he has always had a desire to take his knowledge as a general practice attorney and apply it in a different way. He said he feels confident that he would know all areas of the law right away if elected and wouldn't waste time getting started.

If elected circuit court judge, Peppard said he would not be a pushover.

"I'm reasonable about these things, and I think that's the approach that I try to take," Peppard said. "I'm willing to give somebody that's done something small a break, but I'm not going to give them three or four breaks."

Bauman said she is endorsed by the Northwest Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, two chiefs of police and the mayor of Savannah, and she thinks it's important for a county to have a judge that has a "good working relationship" with law enforcement.

Along with increasing courtroom efficiency through technology, two of Bauman's main goals, if elected, are criminal deterrence and offender accountability.

"A judge's role in sentencing an offender should be to hand down a sentence that reflects the gravity of the crime, considers the offender's history," Bauman said. "Those are very important goals in protecting our communities and the residents of our communities, the witnesses and victims of a crime as well."

The No. 1 goal Findley has if elected is to toughen up on crime, specifically crimes of violence against other people.

"The typical assault case draws a $50 to $120 fine and drug cases typically draw $75 to $150 fine," Findley said. "There was one DWI case prosecuted where the defendant received a $67.50 fine. We cannot have that in Andrew County. We've got to toughen up so that we can deter criminal activity and make Savannah a better place to live."

Peppard said the biggest qualification he would bring to the community, if elected, associate circuit court judge is experience.

"I was a judge in the municipal court in St. Joseph for several years and so I've ruled on hundreds of criminal cases in the city court and state jail," Peppard said. "Also, as part of that job, I received judicial training, which none of my opponents have ever received. I think that's a package that's unmatched with the other opponents."

Bauman said her age and experience are factors that she brings to the table compared to the other candidates.

"I have been a prosecutor for almost a decade," Bauman said. "I grew up in Andrew County, so I bring knowledge of our county, dedication to our county, to this office. I'm the only judicial candidate that is able to complete multiple terms in office if elected due to my age. I would be able to provide longevity and commitment, which would foster consistency and accountability as well as efficiency within the court."

Findley said his 36 years working in courtrooms is what sets him apart from the other candidates.

"That's a big difference from working in an office or working for a corporation or working for a municipality as a city attorney," Findley said. "I've been working in the courtrooms for 36 years. I've had many jury trials. I know what goes on in the courtroom and what needs to go on in the courtroom."