New circuit judge for 5 counties sworn in

Matt Hamner, Osage Beach, was sworn in Nov. 2 as Circuit Judge for the 26th Judicial Circuit.
Matt Hamner, Osage Beach, was sworn in Nov. 2 as Circuit Judge for the 26th Judicial Circuit.

Matt Hamner, Osage Beach, was sworn in Nov. 2 as Circuit Judge for the 26th Judicial Circuit. The judicial district covers Camden, Laclede, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan counties.

Gov. Eric Greitens appointed Hamner as Circuit Judge for the 26th Judicial Circuit to replace the Honorable Stanley Moore, who retired last month.

Hamner has been an Associate Circuit Court Judge for Camden County since 2015. Before his election to the bench, Hamner was an attorney in private practice for 12 years. He began his career as a law clerk to Honorable William Ray Price Jr. of the Supreme Court of Missouri.

The new circuit judge received a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communication and a law degree with honors from the University of Missouri. He is the president of the 26th Judicial Circuit Bar Association and a board member for the Camdenton Rotary Club and the Camdenton Education Foundation.

Hamner and his wife Sherrie have two children. They are members of the Harper Chapel United Methodist Church.

"I am proud to appoint Judge Matt Hamner to the circuit bench for the 26th Judicial Circuit," Greitens said. "Judge Hamner is a proven leader both on and off the bench, and his experience and devotion in the courtroom and the community make him uniquely qualified to serve as circuit judge."