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 Judges)
Judicial Selection
The governor appoints judges 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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State Court Oral Arguments to Watch for in November
Issues on the dockets include indigent defense crises in multiple states, what’s been called a “de facto repeal” of citizens’ initiative power, and a voter-approved ban on large-capacity magazines.
States, Not the President, Run Elections in America
The administration’s attempts to undermine or interfere with elections run afoul of constitutional delegations of responsibility.
States Grapple with the Death Penalty
More people have been executed in 2025 than in any year of the past decade. But some states are strengthening protections against the death penalty.
The Extra Hurdle in State Courts to Prove a Statute Violates the U.S. Constitution
Many states require a litigant challenging a statute as violating the U.S. Constitution to prove the statute is unconstitutional “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
New York Courts Should Reject Texas’s Attempt to Enforce its Abortion Ban Beyond its Borders
Precedent supports the refusal to enforce out-of-state civil judgments that punish an individual in the name of protecting the public.
Book Excerpt: Impermissible Punishments: How Prison Became a Problem for Democracy
The U.S. prison system violates democratic social orders aiming to lessen racist and class hierarchies. Its development was not inevitable.
The Next Round of Partisan Gerrymandering Fights
An unprecedented cycle of mid-decade redistricting highlights a state-by-state legal patchwork, with significant national implications.
The Power of State Reproductive Freedom Amendments
A new report analyzes the language and effects of recently adopted amendments protecting reproductive rights and highlights their potential for abortion access and beyond.