Anderson steps into 'bigger office' as Wayne County prosecuting attorney

GREENVILLE — After serving about 3 1/2 years as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Wayne County, Michael Anderson now has the “bigger office.”

Anderson got that bigger office when he was sworn in as the county’s newly elected prosecutor.

Anderson said he and former Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Jackson got along “real good,” so he ran for the position after Jackson chose not to seek re-election.

“The boss was kind of retiring; it’s interesting” work and a lot of it, Anderson said.

Anderson described his transition as being “rather smooth. … I was pretty involved when Mr. Jackson was here.”

The pending cases, he said, weren’t new to him.

“The way it works in small counties, and I hope it continues to work this way, the murder cases, the Attorney General’s Office specializes” in prosecuting those cases, Anderson said.

Prosecuting a murder case, especially a death penalty case, according to Anderson, “would pretty well lock up this” office.

Since taking over, Anderson said, he has been assisted by Reynolds County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Randazzo, who helped in a recent trial.

Randazzo, he said, helped pick the jury and was “very effective” in his closing argument.

“Having him there was enormously beneficial,” Anderson said. “I’m hoping (the county) will have the money to keep having him come over and help me try some cases.”

Anderson said he has about 10 cases set for jury trial in April.

“It’s not really possible to try all 10,” said Anderson, who is working to balance his time.

“My priority is going to be going after people who rape children,” Anderson said. “Some of these drug cases … I’m going to try to send them to prison for 120 days then (place the defendants on) probation.

“I’m hoping they’ll take to it …and quit using drugs.”

As prosecutor, Anderson said, he has to follow the Missouri Supreme Court’s rules regarding putting defendants in prison for drug offenses.

“These are the marching orders for me that I just can’t ignore,” said Anderson as he held a copy of the “rules.”

Gov. Michael Parson, he said, also has indicated he will not build another prison in Missouri.

“One hundred twenty days in prison, some in law enforcement think that’s nothing … they’ve never done a 120 days in prison,” Anderson said. “We just can’t financially afford sending people for long sentences on drug cases.

“That seems to be (why) the Supreme Court sent the message … put (the defendant) on probation (after) 120 days,” so it “can have a wake-up effect” on the person.

Being prosecutor, he said, is not a job where “you leave everybody happy. The criminals and their families aren’t happy they’re being prosecuted.

“The victims sometimes aren’t happy because you have to tell them you believe them about who did this crime, but you can’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Usually, there’s someone unhappy.”

Anderson, who has been an attorney for about 30 years, began his law career at the Public Defender’s Office, which was a “good experience,” but “can be a fairly tough job,” he said.

Anderson said he then worked in Jefferson City for a couple of years.

“I became disillusioned with Jefferson City real quickly,” he said.

Being a prosecutor, he said, doesn’t pay well, but “it’s a more positive” experience.

For about the last 20 years, Anderson said, he has been the “child support prosecutor” for Wayne, Reynolds, Iron and Dent counties.

“Twenty-five to 30 years ago, the federal government came up with and started funding special child support prosecutors due to the fact that most of your small, local prosecutors said they were too busy,” Anderson explained.

The federal and state governments, Anderson said, each provided funds for the positions, but that funding has decreased in recent years.

Along with prosecuting child support cases, “I started out down here helping out” as an assistant prosecutor, he said.

“A lot of people say (child support cases are) a waste of time, but I kind of think people that have children should try to make enough to support their children,” Anderson said.

Sometimes, he said, people are critical of him for sending people to prison for not paying their child support.

“It’s not my goal,” he said. “I prefer the money get paid. … The taxpayers can’t afford to cover (raising the children). Everyone should be responsible” for his or her own children.

Those going to prison are the ones who virtually have made no effort to pay their child support, said Anderson, who, along with Randazzo continue to prosecute child support cases in Reynolds, Wayne and Iron counties.

“I don’t ever make an empty threat” about prison, said Anderson.

If someone is sent to prison for non-support, once he or she gets out, “they get six months to get it right (or) I starting prosecuting them again,” Anderson said. “Some get the message; some don’t.”

Looking to the future, “I’ve just got to take it a month at a time,” Anderson said. “I try to stay organized with my list of what I’ve got to try and keep trying to whittle (the list) down.”

Anderson hopes his office can continue to do the “best we can with limited resources.”