I believe that a candidate for an office such as I am for Circuit Judge is asking the voters to hire him or her to work for them. The judges and all elected officials work for the voters. As such, voters are entitled to know about a candidate’s background, work history, and work ethic. Here is a little bit about me.
I was born at the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas. My father, who was born and raised in West Plains, had just retired from the U.S. Navy. Dad worked in the shipyards in Washington and California until we moved back to West Plains when I was in the fifth grade. I graduated from Willow Springs High School in 1976 and the
University of Missouri in 1980 with a degree in business. I took a year off between college and law school and worked as a deckhand on the Mississippi River towboats to save money for law school. I went to law school at the University of Missouri in Columbia and graduated in 1984.
I started my first regular job at 15 as an AM radio disc jockey at KUKU radio station in Willow Springs. After that I pumped gas, carried out groceries at a local grocery store, hauled hay, and when I went to college, worked at the college dormitory cafeteria and the university art history museum. I worked summers and Christmas breaks while in college and law school at the old Brown Shoe Factory in Cabool. After graduating from law school in May of 1984, I took and passed the bar exam in July and opened my own law practice in September of 1984. I was hired as the part-time Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Howell County in May of 1985 and served until June of 1987. I then became Prosecuting Attorney of Howell County in June of 1987, was re-elected in 1990 and served through December 31, 1994. In addition, I was appointed Prosecuting Attorney of Oregon County by Governor John Ashcroft and served from January 1, 1987 to December 31, 1990 in that office as well. After I left the Howell County Prosecutor’s office, I finished the prosecution of the pending murder cases I was involved in as a special prosecuting attorney. I have represented several cities including Willow Springs for over 18 years, water districts, churches, businesses, and literally thousands of people in every kind of case imaginable.
I was elected president of the local bar association for the 37th Circuit: Howell, Oregon, Shannon, and Carter Counties (the bar association is all of the licensed lawyers in the circuit) in 2007 and served for eight years with my dear friend John Wiles who was the secretary/treasurer until his passing. I was elected to the University of Missouri Extension Board in 2017 and continue to serve on that board today. I also serve on the South Central Child Advocacy Center Advisory Board, and several other boards, and have served on the Howell County Sheltered Industries Board of Directors and the West Plains/Howell County Regional SWAT team.
My greatest accomplishment in life has been raising three great kids on our cattle farm near Pomona. My oldest son Zach is a fire-fighter/paramedic in Columbia, MO; my middle son Zane is an attorney and works with myself and Attorney Lynsie GabelUpton in our law practice; and my daughter Alexis just graduated from college and is applying to medical school.Zane, our farm manager Steve Corman, and I continue to operate our cow- calf operation.
Our law firm is one of the two largest firms in the area with three full time lawyers and six staff members. We represent clients from all walks of life in all kinds of matters. I am extremely proud to have been able to go to college and law school then come home to Howell County and represent friends, neighbors, and folks I grew up with.
My goal in running for Circuit Judge is to move cases faster, at less cost in time, money, and emotion through our courts. I want to expand our drug court, a special court for young first time offenders who show promise of rehabilitation in hopes that we can get more young people away from drugs and crime and back on track to being good citizens. At present, we don’t have a drug court in Oregon, Shannon or Carter Counties and only a limited one in Howell County.
I also strongly believe repeat offenders deserve more punishment than yet another round of probation. I hope you will vote for me and, with your vote and support, I can get to work on these issues.
Thank you,
Steven Privette