Missouri 38th Judicial Circuit Court
| Local Courts |
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| Trial courts and judges |
| Elections by state |
| Judicial selection by state |
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The Missouri 38th Judicial Circuit Court resides in Missouri. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...
Jurisdiction
This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]
| “ | Missouri circuit courts are courts of original civil and criminal jurisdiction. That is, cases usually begin in the circuit court, which is where trials may occur. Within the circuit court, there are various divisions, such as associate circuit, small claims, municipal, family, probate, criminal and juvenile.[2] | ” |
Selection method
- See also: Judicial selection in the states
- See also: Partisan elections
The 141 judges of the Missouri Circuit Courts are elected to six-year terms in partisan elections, except in the cities of Springfield, St. Louis, and Kansas City. At the end of their terms, judges must face re-election.[3]
The chief judge of each court is elected by the circuit and associate judges from among the sitting circuit judges.[3]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- a U.S. citizen for at least 10 years;
- a qualified state voter for at least three years;
- a resident of the circuit for at least one year;
- licensed to practice law in the state; and
- at least 30 years old.[3]
Judicial elections in Missouri
- See also: Missouri judicial elections
Missouri is one of eight states that use partisan elections to initially select judges and then use retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
Partisan election
Trial judges who were elected in partisan elections may seek re-election at the end of their terms. They must run as a Republican, Democrat, or an independent. Partisan elections decide the majority of Missouri's judges. Judges first run in a party primary in August, with the winner of each primary moving on to the general election.[4][5][6]
Candidates who run unopposed are not printed on the official ballot.[7]
Retention election
Judges on the supreme court and appellate courts are subject to the nonpartisan court plan and run for retention. Trial judges in five counties also run for retention in accordance with this plan. Those counties are St. Louis, Jackson, Clay, Platte and Greene.[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Missouri Courts, "Local Courts," accessed May 18, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Missouri," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Your Missouri Courts, "Meet your Missouri judges," accessed April 26, 2014
- ↑ Missouri General Assembly, "Section 115.121," August 28, 2013
- ↑ Show-Me Courts, "Types of elections in Missouri," accessed April 26, 2014
- ↑ Greene County, "County clerk: Candidates & ballot issues," accessed May 15, 2014
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri
State courts:
Missouri Supreme Court • Missouri Court of Appeals • Missouri Circuit Courts • Missouri Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Missouri • Missouri judicial elections • Judicial selection in Missouri
