An attorney with strong local roots has been named the new associate circuit court judge in Warrenton.
Richard Scheibe, Warrenton, was appointed last week by Gov. Jay Nixon to complete the remaining two years of Wes Dalton’s term as Warren County associate circuit judge.
Dalton was elected presiding circuit judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit in November. He assumed his new responsibilities Jan. 1.
Scheibe, a Warrenton High School graduate, currently is the district defender for District 11 of the Missouri Public Defenders Office for Warren and St. Charles counties.
His last official day with the Missouri Public Defenders Office will be Jan. 25.
He said a date for his swearing in ceremony has not been set.
“I’m excited about this and working in Warrenton,” Scheibe remarked.
Scheibe graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia Law School in 1997. He has spent the past 14 years with the Missouri Public Defenders Office.
Before he became the district defender for District 11, Scheibe worked in the Missouri Public Defenders Offices in Moberly and Kirksville.
Working for the Missouri Public Defenders Office “was my first legal job out of law school,” he said.
Scheibe worked as an assistant public defender from 1998 to 2003 in Moberly. He was the district defender in Kirksville from 2003 through 2006 before becoming the district defender for Warren and St. Charles counties.
Scheibe said his experience as a public defender will be beneficial to him as Warren County’s associate circuit judge.
“I’ve spent 14 years doing all kinds of criminal law,” he remarked, noting that a large portion of the caseload handled by the associate circuit judge is criminal cases.
And while Scheibe conceded that he hasn’t had much experience with civil matters, he noted that he enjoys learning and expanding his knowledge of his profession.
So while Scheibe’s new position will involve fewer administrative duties than his current job, it will allow him to focus on other areas of the law, such as civil filings, probate cases, small claims and family court matters, he said.
Application Process
Scheibe said he was chosen to be Warren County’s associate circuit judge after he went on a website and completed an application for the position.
“It was a long, lengthy process,” he said.
Scheibe also noted that he did not list a political affiliation on his application.
Besides working with the Missouri Public Defenders Office, Scheibe also served on the Criminal Committee and the Paralegal Committee of the Missouri Bar Association.
He also served on the Legislative Subcommittee for two years.
“Any time a bill was filed (in the Missouri Legislature), it was forwarded to us for review and input,” Scheibe explained. “I really enjoyed doing that.”
Scheibe is a graduate of Warrenton High School.
In addition to his law degree, he also earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies and a master’s degree in political science from the Univeristy of Missouri-Columbia.
He also is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served with the First Armored Division during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Scheibe lives in Warrenton with his wife and two sons.
