Applications are now being accepted as Warren County begins the process of appointing a new prosecuting attorney, according to information released by 12th Circuit Presiding Judge Jason Lamb.

The prosecutor position has been vacant since former Prosecuting Attorney Kelley King resigned in October to take a position in the Missouri attorney general’s office.

Montgomery County Prosecuting Attorney Keith Freie has served as interim prosecutor since King’s resignation.

Applications from those interested in becoming the new full-time prosecutor are due Feb. 2. Applicants’ names will be shared with the public.

Lamb will seek input from the public, including local law enforcement, community leaders, other judges, and crime victim advocates before determining the finalists. 

Finalists will then be given the opportunity to make public statements.

“As the trial docket clears, now is the time to construct the framework for the future,” Lamb said in a news release sent to The Record. “Warren County is experiencing rapid growth. The resources and structure of court dockets that served us well for many decades are no longer adequate to take us into the future. Over the past few months, that model has been replaced with additional prosecutors, more frequent status hearings, and multiple trial settings, some of which have been assigned to senior judges. These changes are working well and it is important to the administration of justice to sustain this momentum.”

Since King’s departure, three new assistant prosecutors have been hired and the office has received assistance from the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services to help deal with a significant backload of cases.

About the author: Jason Koch is the editor of The Warren County Record, and covers local news and government for the newspaper. He has won multiple awards from both the Indiana and Illinois APME and from the Illinois Press Association. He can be reached at 636-456-6397 or at jason@warrencountyrecord.com