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Missouri Supreme Court justice vacancy (March 2021)
| Missouri Supreme Court |
|---|
 |
| Stith vacancy |
| Date: March 8, 2021 |
| Status: Seat filled |
| Nomination |
| Nominee: Robin Ransom |
| Date: May 24, 2021 |
Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) appointed Robin Ransom to the Missouri Supreme Court on May 24, 2021. Ransom succeeded Laura Denvir Stith, who retired on March 8, 2021.[1] Ransom was Gov. Parson's first nominee to the seven-member supreme court.[2][3]
Under Missouri law at the time of the vacancy, the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission would select supreme court judges according to the Missouri Plan. When a seat on the court became vacant, the commission would submit three names to the governor to determine the replacement. If the governor neglected this duty, the responsibility would go to the commission.[4][5]
Ballotpedia has compiled the following resources on the process to fill the Missouri Supreme Court vacancy:
- An overview of the appointee.
- An overview of the selection process.
- An overview of the court following the vacancy.
- An overview of the justice who left office.
- A list of other state supreme court appointments in 2021.
Full term
2022
See also: Missouri Supreme Court elections, 2022
Missouri Supreme Court, Robin Ransom's seat
Robin Ransom was retained to the Missouri Supreme Court on November 8, 2022 with 70.3% of the vote.
Retention Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✔ | Yes |
70.3
|
1,239,950 | ||
No |
29.7
|
525,084 | |||
Total Votes |
1,765,034 | ||||
|
|
Partial term
The appointee
- See also: Robin Ransom
Robin Ransom has served as a judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District. Ransom was appointed to the court in January 2019. Ransom was a circuit court judge for the 22nd Circuit Court in Missouri. Governor Matt Blunt (R) appointed her as a circuit judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit on September 11, 2008. Ransom was assigned in January 2009 to the family court. Ransom was retained in 2010 and 2016.
In 1988, Ransom received her bachelor of arts in political science and sociology from Rutgers University's Douglass College in New Jersey. In 1991, she earned her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law.[6][7]
The selection process
- See also: Judicial selection in Missouri
At the time of the vacancy, the Missouri Appellate Judicial Commission selected supreme court judges according to the Missouri Plan. When a seat on the court became vacant, the commission would submit three names to the governor to determine the replacement. If the governor neglected this duty, the responsibility would go to the commission. After one year on the court, an appointed judge would be required to run in the next general election to retain the seat. Supreme court judges serve 12-year terms and must win their retention elections to remain on the court.[4]
Makeup of the court
- See also: Missouri Supreme Court
Justices
Following Stith's retirement, the Missouri Supreme Court included the following members:
| ■ George Draper | Appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon (D) in 2011 | |
| ■ Zel Fischer | Appointed by Gov. Matt Blunt (R) in 2008 | |
| ■ Paul C. Wilson | Appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon (D) in 2012 | |
| ■ Mary Rhodes Russell | Appointed by Gov. Bob Holden (D) in 2004 | |
| ■ Patricia Breckenridge | Appointed by Gov. Matt Blunt (R) in 2007 | |
| ■ Wesley Brent Powell | Appointed by Gov. Eric Greitens (R) in 2017 |
About the court
Founded in 1820, the Missouri Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Wesley Brent Powell.[8]
As of November 2023, two judges on the court were appointed by a Democratic governor and five judges were appointed by a Republican governor.
The court meets in the Supreme Court Building in Jefferson City, Missouri.[9]
In Missouri, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a hybrid judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission who has no majority of members selected either by the governor or the state Bar Association. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
About Justice Stith
- See also: Laura Denvir Stith
Justice Stith joined the Missouri Supreme Court in 2001. She was appointed to the court by Governor Bob Holden (D).
Before serving on the state supreme court, Stith served as a judge with the Missouri Court of Appeals from 1994 to 2001. She worked as a private practice attorney from 1980 to 1994. Stith worked as a law clerk for Robert E. Seiler with the Missouri Supreme Court from 1978 to 1979.[6]
Stith earned a B.A. in political science and social psychology from Tufts University in 1975 and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1978.[6]
Other state supreme court appointments in 2021
- See also: State supreme court vacancies, 2021
The following table lists vacancies on state supreme courts that opened in 2021. Click the link under the Court column for a particular vacancy for more information on that vacancy.
Click here for vacancies that opened in 2020.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KBIA, "Missouri's Second Female Supreme Court Judge Is Retiring," February 3, 2021
- ↑ ABC News, "Governor appoints 1st Black woman to Missouri Supreme Court," May 24, 2021
- ↑ CBS 13 KRCTV, "Gov. Parson appoints first Black woman, Judge Robin Ransom to Missouri Supreme Court," May 24, 2021
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Your Missouri Courts, "Supreme Court Judges," accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Missouri," accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 22nd Circuit Court St. Louis, Missouri, "Hon. Robin R. Vannoy," archived June 13, 2012 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "bio" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Missouri Governor Michael L. Parson, "Governor Parson Appoints the Honorable Robin Ransom as Next Missouri Supreme Court Judge," May 24, 2021
- ↑ Your Missouri Courts, "Supreme Court," accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ Missouri Courts, Visiting the Supreme Court," accessed September 8, 2021
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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
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