Jasper County Associate Circuit Court Judge Joe Hensley was recently recognized by the Missouri Bar with the 2022 Theodore McMillian Judicial Excellence Award.

According to the announcement, the award, established by the Missouri Bar Board of Governors in 2004, “recognizes judges who have inspired others of the judiciary through their integrity and leadership to help advance the administration of justice and provide outstanding public and community services to Missouri residents.”

Hensley also is the presiding juvenile court judge for the 29th Circuit.

He earned his bachelor of arts in psychology, summa cum laude, in 1995, and his law degree in 1998, both from the University of Missouri at Columbia. He was elected to the 29th Judicial Circuit in 2014. He worked in private practices from 1998 to 2003 and 2007 to 2014, and as an attorney for the Jasper County Juvenile Office from 2003 to 2007.

In a statement, Hensley said: “The challenges we faced for our clients as lawyers did not end when we stopped billing hours and put on a robe. We are charged with an awesome responsibility of unraveling complex issues in our communities, and it is a privilege to be able to use our talent and training to do it.”

According to the Missouri Bar, part of that unraveling involves explaining the law to residents, which increases trust in the judicial system. Hensley has encouraged new judges to justify their difficult decisions in their writings so that the parties understand that judgments are not arbitrary.

“By explaining to the parties the reasons for my decisions, the litigants understand I thought about it and there was reason behind it,” he said. “These explanations may open up grounds for reversal, but I believe that is a fair trade for providing justice and closure to those involved, while strengthening the public’s confidence in the judicial system.”

Hensley also was recently named one of three nominees for a vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District.

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