Judge Tucker And The 41st Circuit Receive Permanency Award

  Judge Frederick P. (Rick) Tucker held a celebration luncheon catered by Noland’s Catering at the Shelby County Courthouse to honor the 41st Judicial Circuit (Macon County and Shelby County) and the many people involved in achieving the recognition of the Supreme Court of Missouri for the Supreme Court Permanency Award.  

  Tucker said, “In the last year, we’ve had over 500 cases and all the cases were within the time standards that were recommended, and everybody showed up prepared, and they were productive hearings and this is the way the Supreme Court recognizes us. They give us this award.”

  “They don’t give the award to any one person, it’s not to me, or to the juvenile officer, or the children division, it’s for everybody. It’s for all the social workers that work in the children’s divsion, all the juvenile officers, and the attorneys that work in the systems, and the clerks and the foster families, but it’s everybody. 

  “To celebrate that, because we should celebrate that. What it shows is that we have a group of people that have the knowledge to hold a focus and emotionally turbulent cases and the experience and the passion,” said Tucker. 

  This prestigious award is in recognition of the excellence and timeliness in the service to children and families as demonstrated by 443 timely hearings in child abuse and neglect cases in 2018.  This award is not possible without the coordinated efforts of the Juvenile Office, Division of Social Services, Court personnel, local attorneys and foster families.  Judge Tucker has served as Presiding Circuit Judge since 2011.

  Tucker added, “I want to thank everybody  for working together to receive this award for the second year in a row. Thank you everybody for working so hard to get this award.”