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16th Judicial Circuit Court Judge John Torrence was transferred from the Jackson County Courthouse in downtown Kansas City to the Independence courthouse annex at the start of 2009. Torrence was appointed as circuit judge in July 2001 by Missouri Gov. Bob Holden. Before that, he practiced law at private firms but also served for six years at the Jackson County Public Defender’s office. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from St. Louis University in 1979 and law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1982.
1 You were transferred from the Jackson County Courthouse in downtown Kansas City to the courthouse annex in Independence. When did this take place and why?
I volunteered to sit in Independence for two years because Judge Stephen Nixon moved to Kansas City to serve as our presiding judge for a term of two years. It is customary in our court for a Kansas City judge to temporarily move to Independence when an Independence judge is elected presiding Judge. The change became effective Jan. 1.
2 Has there been a change in your case load and the type of cases you hear because of the transfer?
The only change is that I hear domestic cases in Independence about 25 percent of the time. Had I remained in the Kansas City courthouse, I would hear only civil and criminal cases because there are two circuit judges in Kansas City that hear only domestic cases.
3 In what ways has the transfer been difficult for you and your staff?
Anytime you change dockets there are logistical problems relating to the coordination of calendars and reassignment of cases. I'm lucky to have
an excellent staff that was willing to handle the transition and adapt to
our new location. All things considered, it has not been difficult.
4 Hearing criminal cases on a full time basis, does anything surprise you any more when presiding over a case?
There are always surprises. However, the human spirit is a powerful force and the good in most people tends to outweigh the bad.
5 Does crime fascinate you as it seems to fascinate the American public?
No. There are usually several variables that combine to result in crime. A common recipe is ignorance and poverty mixed in with poor parenting. Crime generally represents the failure of our traditional family and social framework. It is difficult for me to characterize this failure as fascinating.
– Michael Glover
16th Judicial Circuit Court Judge John Torrence was transferred from the Jackson County Courthouse in downtown Kansas City to the Independence courthouse annex at the start of 2009. Torrence was appointed as circuit judge in July 2001 by Missouri Gov. Bob Holden. Before that, he practiced law at private firms but also served for six years at the Jackson County Public Defender’s office. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history from St. Louis University in 1979 and law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1982.
1 You were transferred from the Jackson County Courthouse in downtown Kansas City to the courthouse annex in Independence. When did this take place and why?
I volunteered to sit in Independence for two years because Judge Stephen Nixon moved to Kansas City to serve as our presiding judge for a term of two years. It is customary in our court for a Kansas City judge to temporarily move to Independence when an Independence judge is elected presiding Judge. The change became effective Jan. 1.
2 Has there been a change in your case load and the type of cases you hear because of the transfer?
The only change is that I hear domestic cases in Independence about 25 percent of the time. Had I remained in the Kansas City courthouse, I would hear only civil and criminal cases because there are two circuit judges in Kansas City that hear only domestic cases.
3 In what ways has the transfer been difficult for you and your staff?
Anytime you change dockets there are logistical problems relating to the coordination of calendars and reassignment of cases. I'm lucky to have
an excellent staff that was willing to handle the transition and adapt to
our new location. All things considered, it has not been difficult.
4 Hearing criminal cases on a full time basis, does anything surprise you any more when presiding over a case?
There are always surprises. However, the human spirit is a powerful force and the good in most people tends to outweigh the bad.
5 Does crime fascinate you as it seems to fascinate the American public?
No. There are usually several variables that combine to result in crime. A common recipe is ignorance and poverty mixed in with poor parenting. Crime generally represents the failure of our traditional family and social framework. It is difficult for me to characterize this failure as fascinating.
– Michael Glover
