By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
January 5, 2012

After interviewing three candidates today (Jan. 5), the Kansas City City Council selected Todd Wilcher as the new judge of the Municipal Housing Court. Wilcher will be sworn in at a later date.

Wilcher grew up in south Kansas City, Mo., and has lived in the greater Kansas City metro for more than 40 years. After graduating from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a bachelor’s degree in history, he earned a law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

In addition to working in the Kansas City city prosecutor’s office, he’s also operated a private practice, concentrating on personal injury, collections, criminal and municipal defense. He’s also served as a housing court prosecutor.

“I have a passion for the neighborhoods,” Wilcher said. “We all want to go home to the quiet, orderly beauty of our own neighborhood.”

He also understands how blight can affect a neighborhood and the importance of enforcing the city’s housing codes, he said.

“Blight invites more blight and and blight invites crime,” he said. “I’m eager to embrace the role of a housing judge. I appreciate this is a position of public trust. I’m humbled by the new appointment.”

“I am pleased we are filling this position,” City Council member John Sharp said. “And we filled it with the right person.”