Richardson files as candidate for judgeship

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A state lawmaker who pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in 1997 filed Thursday as a candidate for a circuit judgeship in southeast Missouri.

Rep. Mark Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, has served in the House for 12 years and is barred by term limits from seeking re-election.

So far, he is the only Republican to have filed for the circuit judgeship in the 36th Circuit, which comprises Butler and Ripley counties.

Incumbent Judge W. Robert Cope is retiring, and public defender Robert Smith is the only candidate so far in the Democratic primary. Candidate filing ends March 26.

While many other term-limited House members are running for Senate, Richardson said he considered the judgeship the best way to continue in public service yet remain close to home.

Richardson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated and child endangerment after an April 1997 arrest in Jefferson City. His 4-year-old daughter was in the car when he was stopped on U.S. 50.

As part of his probationary sentence, Richardson said he lost his driver's license for three months, did 200 hours of community service and attended various alcohol awareness seminars.

He also won re-election to the House in 1998 and 2000.

"I made a mistake and accepted responsibility for the mistake," Richardson said Thursday. "I think the voters accepted that, forgave me for that and have supported me since then. And I don't think they're going to view my running for judge a whole lot differently than they did when I was running for legislator."

The Missouri Constitution requires judges to be licensed attorneys but says nothing about whether judges can have previously violated the law. Richardson has been an attorney for 21 years.

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