Meet James Egan
James Egan has dedicated more than 35 years to public service as a teacher, attorney, and advocate committed to fairness, integrity, and equal treatment under the law. Before entering the legal profession, James spent 8 years as a teacher including 6 in residential treatment for children facing emotional and behavioral challenges, helping them overcome adversity and find stability.
For the past 22 years, James has served with the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office, representing clients in both trial and appellate courts, including cases before the Missouri Supreme Court. His experience spans thousands of cases—from misdemeanors to capital offenses—giving him a deep understanding of the justice system and the challenges faced by both victims and defendants.
James’ career reflects a lifelong dedication to service, compassion, and accountability. His background as both an educator and attorney has shaped his belief that a judge must not only know the law but also understand people—their struggles, circumstances, and capacity for change.
Having faced and overcome personal challenges with depression and addiction earlier in life, James brings empathy and perspective to the bench. These experiences have strengthened his belief that every individual is equal under the law and deserving of fair, impartial treatment.
James and his wife, Glenda, have three grown children and recently became grandparents. They live in Columbia and are active members of their local church community.
Judicial Philosophy and Key Priorities
Fairness and Equal Justice
James believes every person who enters a courtroom deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, and impartiality regardless of their background or circumstances. His decisions will be guided by the law, the facts, and a commitment to ensuring confidence in the judicial process.
Integrity and Accountability
With more than two decades of courtroom experience, James understands the importance of judicial discretion and the weight of each ruling. He is committed to applying the law consistently and transparently so that justice is both done and seen to be done.
Respect for Victims and the Rule of Law
James has seen firsthand the impact of crime on victims and families. He is dedicated to upholding victims’ rights while maintaining fairness in every proceeding, ensuring that justice serves the community as a whole.
Understanding Mental Health and Addiction
Drawing from both personal experience and professional insight, James recognizes the role mental illness and addiction play in many cases. He supports approaches that balance accountability with effective treatment options, helping individuals recover while keeping communities safe.
Commitment to Public Service
From the classroom to the courtroom, James’ life has been defined by service to others. As a judge, he will continue that mission working each day to uphold the law with wisdom, humility, and compassion.
Experience
James has extensive experience over the past 22.5 years, making him uniquely qualified to be the next Division 9 Judge.
why experience matters
Associate Circuit Judges are gatekeepers of our criminal Justice system, and James’ experience is important to public safety.
Listen to James discuss the idea of night court he wants to implement if elected. This will help relieve the backlog in our courts and speed up case resolution.
Dedicated To Public Service
The Wediko School
Before going to law school, James taught for 8 years. For five years, James was a lead teacher at The Wediko School (at that time known as Wediko Children’s Services), a residential treatment center for children with emotional and behavioral problems. James also worked at Wediko’s summer program for 8 summers in the 1990’s, both as a teacher and a direct care staff. Students at Wediko struggled with issues of abuse and neglect, and many were in foster care.
Help Yourself Program
James’ dedication to public service began while he was still in college. Starting in the fall of 1989, James worked as a teaching assistant in the Help Yourself program. This program helps low-income and minority youth in the Beloit area. The program is much larger than when it started in 1989, with only a fourth and fifth-grade class, but James was there at the beginning.