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)
Filters
State Constitutional Conventions, Explained
The last state to hold a conventional convention was in Rhode Island in 1986.
The State Constitutional Rights to Bear Arms After Rahimi
The U.S. Supreme Court’s holding that the disarmament of a domestic abuser was not unconstitutional could incentivize gun-rights advocates to bring their claims in state court.
The Right to Petition in State Constitutions, Explained
Some states protect citizens’ right to make requests of or complaints against the government more broadly than the federal Constitution.
Will Courts Continue to Favor State Control Over Home Rule?
Constitutional amendments giving cities greater authority over local policy have repeatedly met resistance by state courts over the last century.
Iowa Supreme Court Allows Six-Week Abortion Ban to Take Effect
The court’s stance on reproductive health has shifted dramatically since 2018, when it held that abortion was a fundamental right under the state constitution.
Judicial Deference to Agency Expertise in the States
Almost all state courts recognize the importance of agencies’ expertise in policymaking.
SCOTUS’s Review of Ban on Trans Health Care Highlights Need for State Litigation
Even if the U.S. Supreme Court decides that bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth are constitutional, state courts can strike down such laws under state constitutions.
SCOTUS’s 2nd Amendment Decision Leaves Open Questions for State Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the disarmament of a domestic abuser in United States v. Rahimi, but litigation over where to draw the line will continue.