Jesus Osete and Stephanie Morrell are competing for Division III 13th Circuit Court Judge, a position which serves Boone and Callaway counties in civil and criminal matters, in the Nov. 5 election.
The incumbent, Kevin Crane, is retiring after 17 years serving as the Division III judge and 34 total years serving Boone and Callaway counties, according to previous Missourian reporting.
Stephanie Morrell
With over 20 years of experience in the mid-Missouri justice system, Stephanie Morrell, a Democrat, is ready to take on a new role.
Growing up in Beloit, Kansas, with six siblings, Morrell said she learned the value of hard work at an early age. After attending law school at the University of Kansas, she moved to Boone County and has called mid-Missouri home since.
“I have lived in mid-Missouri for over 24 years, this is my community,” Morrell said. “I’ve been a public servant my entire career because I care about the community.”
Starting her career as an assistant attorney general for Missouri, Morrell has represented the state in trial in over 300 appeals.
Morrell joined the Boone County prosecuting attorney’s office in 2007, trying over 120 cases during her 12 years there.
Morrell was elected to the bench in 2018, where she has served as associate circuit judge for two terms. During her tenure as associate circuit judge, she received the COMO Magazine Women of Excellence award in Public Service in 2019.
“I have been in a courtroom almost every single day for over 17 years,” Morrell said. “I know what it’s like to be in a courtroom. I know what it’s like to handle the volume of cases that we handle, and do it efficiently, but make sure that every single person knows that their case is just as important as anybody else’s.”
Morrell is prioritizing mental health and public safety in her campaign for circuit judge. Morrell facilitates the Boone County Jail Mental Health Staffing Committee, which ensures that individuals in jail custody receive mental health attention.
Morrell has been endorsed by the Columbia Police Officers Association and Columbia Professional Firefighters Local 1055, according to her campaign website.
“I’m endorsed by the Columbia Police Officers Association and supported by law enforcement because they know that my experience and my ability is good for our bench and for our communities,” Morrell said.
Jesus Osete
Republican Jesus Osete grew up in Nogales, Arizona, with his biological mother and adoptive father. Through his father, he retroactively gained U.S. citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. The bipartisan piece of legislation granted citizenship to children under the care of an American citizen parent who was admitted to the U.S. for lawful permanent residence, according to the U.S. Department of State.
Osete said his father was a successful general contractor, but the Great Recession hit his family hard. Osete said he can remember coming back from school and seeing locks on their foreclosed home. The night before he was set to move into his college dorm, he had to sleep in his car.
“The Great Recession crippled my family, but it didn’t cripple my faith in America,” Osete said. “My strength has been my adversity.”
Osete obtained his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. After law school, Osete clerked for Zel Fischer, who at the time was the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. His next clerkship was for Bobby Shepherd, a federal judge serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.
Osete then started working as an associate attorney for Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP. He conducted pro bono work for the exoneration of Kevin Strickland, a Black Kansas City man who had served more than 40 years of a life sentence after being wrongfully convicted of killing three people by an all-white jury.
During his time as Missouri deputy attorney general, Osete worked on Biden v. Missouri, which was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Here I am within arm’s distance of Justice Kagan, Justice Sotomayor, Justice Thomas – the chief justice,” Osete said. “I mean, it’s like winning the lottery ticket. It doesn’t happen, and it certainly doesn’t happen to a 30-year-old.”
Osete is a member of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, a Republican and libertarian legal organization. In a news release, Osete announced his endorsements, which include former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt and Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kehoe.
Osete said the role of a judge is to impartially apply the law to the facts of a case to support the Constitution.
“I’ve had my successes. I’ve had my failures. But at the end of the day, what the people see is what they’re going to get,” Osete said. “They’re going to get someone who’s going to be fair, who’s experienced and who’s willing to uphold the Constitution as our founders envisioned it.”
