I’m Jacob Shellabarger, Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney, with another look inside the criminal justice system in our community. Today, a look back at 2024 and a look forward to 2025 as we continue to hold offenders accountable, protect and support victims, and ensure our County remains a great place to live, work, raise a family, get healthy and make your future. Our office has a singular focus – justice for all of Audrain County.

In the courtrooms at your Courthouse, we are balancing multiple appearances with multiple judges over a given week. Sometimes we have six or more total dockets a day, in Audrain County and in other Counties. Most Court is still conducted in person, in the Courthouse, although we often appear in other Counties through videoconferencing, which saves us travel and logistics time. Although WebEx video conferencing has made it easier to appear in multiple locations, the schedules of multiple judges, different dockets at different times, and technology issues have created additional challenges. Our Court clerks do a masterful job getting Judges, courtrooms, jails, defendants and support systems in place to ensure successful, speedy dockets.

When I file a case, I want to make sure we can quickly and efficiently process all the police reports, evidence, statements, and provide them to the defense as soon as possible. Discovery is the process by which the State provides any and all evidence in the case to the defense, and that includes the defense providing any evidence that it may have to the State, to avoid surprises on either side. As a part of this process, our office uses a case management software system provider, Karpel Solutions from St. Louis, to make it easier for law enforcement to submit, review and monitor evidence and cases submitted to our office through a secure, online portal. Since 2007, our office has been trying to find systems, technology and efficient ways to do more with less, saving the taxpayers’ money and making sure we are focusing our efforts on public safety, law enforcement, and keeping the dockets moving.

For the last 40 years, our office has partnered with the State of Missouri to collect and enforce child support obligations, returning money to Audrain County families from parents that owe support. Through the Missouri Department of Social Services Family Support Division, our office would handle phases of child support collection through a cooperative agreement with the State – we were conducting DSS-FSD work, and those employees remained local employees, housed in my office in our Courthouse. The office was a “front door” for families in need of support, and those who owe child support – answering questions, solving collection issues, and providing services to these families. In 2023, our office expanded beyond Audrain County to cover cases in six additional Northeast Missouri counties, based from here in Mexico.

December 31, 2024 will be the last date our office will have a dedicated Child Support Enforcement Unit. All the files handled locally will be transferred back to the Family Support Division’s offices for continuing management and investigation. Our office may keep some criminal non-support cases that were filed, and where defendants remain on probation for non-payment of non-support obligations. Each of the employees from the Unit have been hired to other positions with Audrain County, and Shelby Park continues to serve our County as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Office. We appreciate and thank all of the Child Support Unit’s employees over the years – and have a great amount of respect for the work they did on behalf of Audrain County children and families.

As we prepare to close out 2024, please allow me a moment to recognize the dedication and career of my predecessor, now Circuit Judge, Jason Lamb. My immediate predecessor as Audrain County’s Prosecuting Attorney, Judge Lamb was elected in 2018 to serve the 12th Judicial Circuit as its Circuit Judge. Since 2019, he has presided over thousands of cases and thousands of hours of court proceedings. He has been fair, firm and innovative in bringing our justice system forward to meeting new and complex challenges. Judge Lamb has handled those challenges with an open hand and an open mind, keeping public safety first and a collaborative spirit. He has served with dignity, common sense, and in the interest of justice for our community. Judge Lamb chose not to run for re-election to another term, and as he heads for other adventures, he leaves behind a legacy of dedicated service to our County and State through his years as Prosecuting Attorney (2003-2009), the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services (2009-2018) and as Circuit Judge. Please join me in thanking him for his time on the bench for our County.

Next month, this column will take a look back at 2024 in the Courthouse and the Court system. Enjoy this holiday season with family, friends and thank those law enforcement officers, first responders and probation and corrections officers who keep Audrain County productive and safe.