Hon. John M. Torrence

John M. Torrence has served as a judge for Division 14 of the Missouri 16th Judicial Circuit Court since his appointment in 2001 by Governor Bob Holden. A graduate of St. Louis University (B.A., 1979) and the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law (J.D., 1982), Torrence began his legal career as an assistant public defender in Jackson County before moving into private practice. He was a partner at Hubbell, Sawyer, Peak, O'Neal & Napier from 1993 to 2001 and worked as an attorney for Torrence and Wee from 1988 to 1993. Throughout his tenure on the bench, he has been retained in successive elections, most recently in 2020 with 64.4% of the vote, and has received the ASTAR award for advanced science and technology adjudication. Torrence’s judicial service is marked by a commitment to fair and timely adjudication of cases, including notable decisions in child protection matters.