After more than three decades on the bench, retired Circuit Judge David C. Mason is taking on a new role — this time with the St. Louis Sheriff’s Office.
A department spokesperson said Mason will serve as the office’s statutory attorney on a part-time basis, earning no more than $15,000 annually.
His arrival comes at a turbulent time for Sheriff Alfred Montgomery, who is facing multiple lawsuits, including allegations of false imprisonment and defamation. Just last week, a nonprofit legal advocacy group publicly called for Montgomery’s removal.
But Mason appears unfazed by the headlines around the office.
“I could see this was a young man with serious vision,” he said. “[Montgomery] really understood the importance of integrity, of professionalism and of really doing the kinds of things that the people expected instead of trying to manipulate the process for personal gain.”
The pair’s working relationship dates back years. Montgomery once worked courtroom security for Mason and says the two built an internal system that could now serve as a model for the broader department.
"When I was a deputy sheriff, we had failed leadership, but we were able to weather the storm and buckle down on working inside of his courtroom because we created our own system … a system that worked well,” the sheriff said. “We can create it throughout the entire sheriff's office — with the help of the very person who set the foundation.”
Blake Lawrence, the sheriff’s longtime legal adviser, will remain focused on the department’s administrative legal matters. Mason will take on responsibilities related to state law.
"Judge Mason’s expertise not only bolsters our operational capabilities, but also fosters a collaboration between the judicial system and also law enforcement entities,” Montgomery said. “His commitment to serving the community and his proven track record in the judicial system make him a remarkable asset.”
Mason was appointed to the 22nd Circuit in 1991 by then-Gov. John Ashcroft. Over the years, he gained a reputation for being unflinching on the bench and, at times, tough sentencing to the point where some called him “Maximum Mason.”
In 2010, Mason presided over the case of Terrence Hendricks, who was convicted of shooting a homeowner seven times during a break-in. Hendricks received a life sentence plus 31 years after unsubstantiated claims that the judge was dozing off on the bench during the trial.
One of Mason’s most consequential rulings came near the end of his judicial career.
In February 2023, the judge vacated the murder conviction of Lamar Johnson, who had spent nearly three decades in prison for a 1994 killing he long contended he didn’t commit.
The ruling followed a weeklong hearing in which new evidence came to light, including a recanted eyewitness statement and a confession from another man who admitted to committing the killing.
Mason was also a leading force in the creation of the Freedom Suits Memorial — a monument outside the Honorable Clyde S. Cahill Courthouse honoring enslaved people who sued for their freedom in Missouri courts during the 19th century.
