Two local judges sign off from bench

Courtesy Greene County Circuit Court

Judge Calvin Holden

Courtesy Courts.Mo.gov

Judge Bill Francis

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Two judges working in Springfield courtrooms are retiring on the same day this summer.

Judges Bill Francis and Calvin Holden are scheduled to retire on July 31, according to news releases from the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.

Greene County Circuit Court Judge Holden was elected to the circuit in 1996, making him one of the longest-serving judges currently on the 31st circuit bench, according to a separate news release.

"Judge Holden's long career has allowed him to handle everything from criminal, civil, juvenile and treatment court cases," Presiding Judge Michael Cordonnier said in the release. "His early work in then-called 'drug court' laid much of the groundwork for what is now Greene County's successful treatment court programs."

Holden previously practiced law 1980-1996.

Francis was appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals in 2010, according to Courts.Mo.Gov. He works in the Southern District office, which operates out of the Hammons Building in downtown Springfield.

"One of the biggest gaps in my knowledge and experience was workers' compensation cases," fellow Missouri Court of Appeals Judge Don Burrell said in the release. "When Judge Francis joined our court, he was always available and willing to help prevent me from accidentally screwing up the law when I drew one of those appeals, whether he was on the panel or not."

Prior to becoming a judge, Francis worked in private practice at a few Springfield law firms: Miller, Fairman, Sanford & Carr; Miller & Sanford; and Placzek & Francis, according to his Missouri Courts profile.