Hon. Jon Edward Beetem

Jon Beetem is a Missouri circuit court judge who has served as the presiding judge of Division 1 of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court since his election in 2006, with his term set to expire in 2018. A graduate of the University of Kentucky (Bachelor’s degree) and the University of Missouri–Columbia School of Law (J.D.), Beetem practiced privately as an attorney from 1992 until his judicial appointment in 2006. During his tenure on the bench, he has presided over significant cases, including a 2018 ruling affirming the governor’s authority to appoint a lieutenant governor. He has also held leadership positions within the legal community, serving as former president of both the Missouri Bar and the Cole County Bar Associations, and is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church.