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, 2022, it had 128 amendments. (Source: Council of State Governments)
Filters
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
State courts have largely sidestepped state constitutional questions about remote criminal proceedings.
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
From abortion to voting rights, amendments creating new state constitutional rights were approved at the ballot box.