LEARN MORE ABOUT JUDGE EFTINK

My name is Jim Eftink.  I live in Lake Winnebago, Missouri.  I have been married for sixteen years.  My wife Lauren is a registered nurse and a healthcare director.  We have two children.  We attend church in Lee’s Summit.  I am from Kansas City originally.  I went to law school at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Before becoming a judge, I practiced law for twelve years, with an office in Raymore, Missouri.   

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In addition to my private practice, I had a contract for six years with Cass County wherein I served as an attorney in the juvenile court.  Under this contract, I served as the Guardian ad Litem for abused and neglected children and represented juvenile delinquents.  

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It was through my service as a Guardian ad Litem, representing abused and neglected children, that I first felt my calling to be a public servant.  As a "GAL", I advocated for the best interest of the child, not for the individual goals of an adult client.  I found serving my community to be very rewarding, and I decided to seek a judicial position.  

 

​As a resident of Cass County, I want to continue to serve my community, keeping it a safe place to call home and raise my children.   

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I am a Republican.  Cass County is a "partisan" county under the Missouri "Non-Partisan Plan," which you can read about here if you are interested:  https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=297

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As a judge, I cannot support any political candidate, nor can I speak publicly about any political issues, nor can I state on the record how I would rule on certain kinds of cases or issues.  There are several important reasons for this.  A judge cannot convey the impression that any person or organization is in a special position to influence the judge.  Also, if a judge publicly states how he will rule on certain cases, litigants with those cases could ask for a different judge if they do not like the way the judge said he would rule.  That means those cases will be assigned to other judges in the county.  That’s not fair to the other judges or the people of the county because that means the judge cannot do the job he was elected to do. 

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It is my belief that a judge must be fair, impartial, and independent.  A judge must be able to carefully weigh evidence, setting aside any passion or emotion.  A judge must have integrity.  A judge must act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the court.  A judge must be courteous and respectful to all litigants who come before the court.  A judge must protect all parties’ rights to due process.  Perhaps most importantly, a judge must follow the law as created by the legislature and enforced by the executive branch. ​​​

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In our American system of government, the legislature creates the laws.  The executive branch enforces the laws.  The courts decide cases and controversies, giving everyone a fair chance to present their side of the story.  The courts are the weakest branch of government.  Courts are NOT intended to create their own law.  Courts are duty-bound to follow the law, using prior court decisions as a guide in the decision-making process.  It is my belief that the government only has the power and authority granted to it by the Constitution.  The Founding Fathers envisioned a government with only specific enumerated powers.  This is true of all the branches of the government, including the courts.  A judge only has the authority as granted to it by the law. 

 

In other words, judges are not kings – they are public servants bound by the law. 

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