Missouri
Missouri’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Missouri. The court has six judges and one chief justice, who is selected for a two-year term by the other members of the court. (Source: Missouri Supreme Court Justices)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints justices to the Supreme Court of Missouri from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. After at least one year on the court, the judge may stand for a 12-year term in an unopposed yes/no retention vote at the time of Missouri’s next general election. Judges may stand for additional terms in the same retention process. To fill an interim vacancy, the governor appoints a judge from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 70.
State Constitution
Missouri has had four state constitutions adopted between 1820 and 1945. As of January 1, 2024, it had 131 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
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Where Abortion Rights Could Be on the Ballot in 2024
As many as 14 states could have abortion-related constitutional amendments on the ballot this year.
The Arizona High Court Upheld A 160-Year-Old Abortion Ban. Now What?
Abortion law expert David Cohen talks about Arizona’s ongoing abortion litigation, a possible abortion amendment in the state, and the biggest threats to abortion rights nationwide.
Single-Subject Rules Can Prevent Perverse Outcomes but Give Judges Enormous Power
Single-subject requirements were used to strike down a Missouri law criminalizing homelessness and also helped undermine attempts to protect abortion access in other states.
A Conversation About Abortion Rights and the Future of State Constitutions
A retired state supreme court justice, a reproductive rights scholar, and the director of the Brennan Center’s Judiciary Program discuss the role of state courts after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion.
How Courts Oversee Ballot Initiatives
State courts — and to some degree federal courts — play a significant role in every stage of the direct democracy process.
Remote Court Three Years Later
Getting Comparative Law Right in State Courts
The Supreme Court used flawed legal comparisons in overturning Roe v. Wade. Looking forward, state judges must take context into account when engaging with other countries’ abortion laws.
Voters Amend State Constitutions to Enshrine New Rights