Missouri Court of Appeals
| Missouri Court of Appeals | |||
 | |||
| Court information | |||
| Judges: | 31 | ||
| Judicial selection | |||
| Method: | Commission-selection, political appointment | ||
| Term: | 12 years | ||
| Active judges | |||
|
Lisa White Hardwick • Clifford Ahrens • Patricia Cohen • Kathianne Knaup Crane • Robert Dowd • Mary Kathryn Hoff • Lawrence Mooney • Glenn Norton • Roy Richter • Sherri Sullivan • Kurt Odenwald • Joseph Ellis • Victor Howard • Thomas Newton • Alok Ahuja • James Edward Welsh • Gary Lynch • Jeffrey Bates • Nancy Steffen Rahmeyer • Don Burrell • Mark Pfeiffer • Daniel Scott • Karen Mitchell • Gary Gaertner Jr. • Gary Witt • Anthony Gabbert • Angela T. Quigless • Lisa Van Amburg • Mary Sheffield • William W. Francis, Jr. • Robert M. Clayton, III • Cynthia Lynette Martin • | |||
The Missouri Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state of Missouri.
The Court of Appeals handles appeals from the circuit courts. In Missouri, the appellate court system is divided into three districts: Eastern, Western and Southern.[1]
Judges
The judges of the Court of Appeals are selected under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan, which includes selection by the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission based on merit, gubernatorial appointment, and retention by the voters at the ballot box. All judges serve 12-year terms.[2]
The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, is the state's largest appellate court, with offices located in the historic Old Post Office building in downtown St. Louis. The Court is composed of fourteen judges who handle approximately fifty percent of the intermediate appellate caseload in Missouri, covering twenty-five counties and the City of St. Louis. Oral arguments are regularly conducted in St. Louis, Clayton, Hannibal, Cape Girardeau and other locations within the Eastern District.[3]
Based on the number of counties in its jurisdiction (forty-five), the Western District is the state's largest intermediate appellate court, and is located in its own courthouse in downtown Kansas City. The court is composed of 11 judges, and handles almost 40% of the appellate caseload in Missouri. Oral arguments are normally conducted in Kansas City, but are also conducted in Jefferson City, Colombia, St. Joseph, Kirksville, and other western district locations.[4]
The Southern District has offices in Springfield, MO, and maintains a courthouse and chambers in Poplar Bluff. Oral arguments are regularly conducted in both locations. The Court is composed of seven judges and its jurisdiction covers forty-four counties in southern Missouri.
| Judge | Term | Division | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Judge Lisa White Hardwick | 2001-2014 | Western District | ||
| Judge Clifford Ahrens | 1991-2016 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Patricia Cohen | 2003-2016 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Kathianne Knaup Crane | 1990-2006 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Robert Dowd | 1994-2020 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Mary Kathryn Hoff | 1995-2010 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Lawrence Mooney | 1998-2024 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Glenn Norton | 2002-2016 | Eastern District | ||
| Chief Judge Roy Richter | 2006-2020 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Sherri Sullivan | 1999-2024 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Kurt Odenwald | 2007-2020 | Eastern District | ||
| Judge Joseph Ellis | 1993-2008 | Western District | ||
| Judge Victor Howard | 1996-2010 | Western District | ||
| Judge Thomas Newton | 1999-2024 | Western District | ||
| Judge Alok Ahuja | 2007-2022 | Western District | ||
| Judge James Edward Welsh | 2007-2022 | Western District | ||
| Judge Gary Lynch | 2006-2020 | Southern District | ||
| Judge Jeffrey Bates | 2003-2018 | Southern District | ||
| Judge Nancy Steffen Rahmeyer | 2001-2014 | Southern District | ||
| Judge Don Burrell | 2007-2022 | Southern District | ||
| Judge Mark Pfeiffer | 2009-2022 | Western District | ||
| Chief Judge Daniel Scott | 2006-2020 | Southern District | Gov. Matt Blunt | |
| Judge Karen Mitchell | 2009-2022 | Western District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge Gary Gaertner Jr. | 2010-2024 | Eastern District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge Gary Witt | 2010-2024 | Western District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge Anthony Gabbert | 2013-2014 | Western District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge Angela T. Quigless | 2012-present | Eastern District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge Lisa Van Amburg | 2012-present | Eastern District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge Mary Sheffield | 12/2012-present | Southern District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge William W. Francis, Jr. | 2010-2024 | Southern District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge Robert M. Clayton, III | 2011-present | Eastern District | Gov. Jay Nixon | |
| Judge Cynthia Lynette Martin | 2009-2024 | Western District |
Former judges
Jurisdiction
The Court of Appeals handles all appeals except those in the Supreme Court's exclusive jurisdiction: challenges to the validity of a United States statute or treaty, the validity of a state constitutional provision or statute, cases requiring construction of revenue laws, the title to state office, and cases where the death penalty is imposed.
Court of Appeals cases may be appealed to the Supreme Court, however, historically less than ten percent of appeals are heard by the Supreme Court. Thus, for the vast majority of appeals, the Court of Appeals decision is final.[5]
Procedure
In an appeal, a record of what occurred in the circuit court is filed. Each side generally files a brief stating its arguments and the basis for them, such as past court decisions and laws. These briefs are open to the public.
The Court of Appeals may hear oral argument from each side, in which each side answers the judges' questions. Like any appellate court, there are no juries or witnesses; the parties argue their cases before the judges, who then determine whether there were prejudicial mistakes made at the trial below. The public may attend.
The Court considers the briefs, oral arguments, and the transcripts, pleadings and exhibits from the trial in researching, deciding, and writing its opinions. The Court must decide the case based on the Constitution and laws, regardless of the judge's personal preference, politics, and any other outside influence. The Court's opinions are public and appear on this website as they are issued.[5]
See also
External links
- Judges of the Missouri Eastern Appellate District
- Judges of the Southern District
- The Kansas City Star, "Judges block path to retrial of KC lawyer Buchli for murder", December 20, 2011
References
- ↑ NewsTribune.com, "Nixon taps utility regulator for Mo. appeals court", July 18, 2011
- ↑ Your Missouri Courts, Eastern District, Meet Your Judges
- ↑ Your Missouri Courts, Western District, Meet Your Judges
- ↑ Your Missouri Courts, Southern District, Meet Your Judges
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Missouri Court of Appeals
2012 election
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