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Timothy J. Wilson
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Timothy J. Wilson is a former circuit court judge for the 22nd Circuit Court in Missouri, serving St. Louis. He was appointed to the bench on May 15, 1989, and retained to the court in 1990, 1996, 2002 and 2008.[1] Wilson retired in December 2017, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.[2]
Wilson presided over the first-degree murder trial of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley in 2017. Click here for more information about the Stockley case.
Biography
Wilson earned an undergraduate degree and a J.D. from St. Louis University. Prior to joining the bench, he worked as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri and as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Honors Program.[1]
Elections
2014
Wilson was retained to the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court with 66.5 percent of the vote on November 4, 2014. [3]
Performance evaluation
The 22nd Circuit Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee recommended that Judge Wilson be Retained. Click here to read the full performance evaluation.
Noteworthy case
Officer-involved shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith
Wilson found former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley not guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action on September 15, 2017.[4] "This Court, in conscience, cannot say that the State has proven every element of murder beyond a reasonable doubt or that the State has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant did not act in self-defense," he wrote in his verdict, concluding that, "the State has failed in its burden of proof and the Court finds that defendant is not guilty of both charges in this case, murder first degree and armed criminal action."[5]
Then-Officer Stockley fatally shot Anthony Lamar Smith on December 20, 2011, following a car chase.[6] Prosecutors alleged at trial that Stockley intentionally killed Smith and planted a gun in his car to justify the shooting.[7] Stockley testified that he believed Smith was reaching for a gun and fired at him in self-defense.[8]
"I am appalled at what happened to Anthony Lamar Smith," St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson (D) said after the verdict was announced. "I am sobered by this outcome. Frustration, anger, hurt, pain, hope and love all intermingle. I encourage St. Louisans to show each other compassion, to recognize that we all have different experiences and backgrounds and that we all come to this with real feelings and experiences. We are all St. Louisans. We rise and fall together."[9]
Some members of Smith's family, accompanied by activists and members of the clergy, had pledged to protest if Stockley was not found guilty.[10] Protests started soon after the verdict was announced. More than 1,000 protesters marched in the city's Central West End the evening of September 15, 2017, with many gathering outside Krewson's home.[11] The protests, which included calls for the firing of interim Police Chief Lawrence O'Toole and increased civilian oversight of the police department, continued for more than a month after the verdict was released.[12]
See also
- Missouri Circuit Courts
- Missouri 22nd Judicial Circuit Court
- Saint Louis City, Missouri
- Judicial selection in Missouri
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 22nd Circuit Court, "Judge Timothy Wilson," accessed September 8, 2017
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Stockley Verdict Will Be Among St. Louis Judge Tim Wilson's Last Decisions on the Bench," September 14, 2017
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "2014 General Election Candidate List," accessed September 8, 2017
- ↑ CNN, "Ex-Cop Jason Stockley Found Not Guilty in Black Man's Death," September 15, 2017
- ↑ Missouri Circuit Court, Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit, "State of Missouri v. Stockley," September 15, 2017
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Former St. Louis Cop Arrested, Charged with First-Degree Murder for 2011 Police Shooting," May 17, 2016
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Krewson Urges Calm in St. Louis as Wait Goes on for Stockley Trial," September 5, 2017
- ↑ CNN, "Judge to Rule in Murder Trial of Officer Accused of Planting Gun on Suspect," September 1, 2017
- ↑ Mayor Lyda Krewson, "Mayor Krewson's Statement on Verdict," September 15, 2017
- ↑ Fox 2 News, "Protestors Promise Mass Shutdowns if Stockley Isn't Convicted," August 28, 2017
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch,, "Heated Protests Follow Stockley Acquittal," September 16, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "In St. Louis, Protests Over Police Violence Disrupt Economy, and Win Attention," October 20, 2017
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
