Judicial Vacancies


Selection of judges in the Supreme Court, the Missouri Court of Appeals and five of the state's urban trial courts is governed by the merit-based nonpartisan court plan. In the remaining 110 counties, voters continue to choose trial judges through partisan elections. When an interim vacancy occurs in one of these counties, the governor appoints a judge to serve until the next election. For more information about this application process, click here: interim judicial vacancies in trial courts.

 

The process of filing vacancies under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan requires the governor to select judges from a panel of three qualified applicants selected by a nonpartisan commission of citizens, lawyers and a judge. Voters then decide periodically whether to retain nonpartisan judges. For vacancies on the Supreme Court of Missouri and Missouri Court of Appeals, the nonpartisan commission is called the Appellate Judicial Commission. The six circuit courts subject to the nonpartisan plan have their own circuit judicial commissions.


Current Nonpartisan Judicial Vacancies


Circuit Courts

  • Sixth Judicial Circuit (Platte County):
      • There currently are no judicial vacancies in the 6th circuit.
  • Seventh Judicial Circuit (Clay County):
      • The seventh circuit judicial commission is seeking applications to fill the circuit judge vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Rex Anthony Gabbert to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District.
  • 16th Judicial Circuit (Jackson County):
      • The governor on March 6 appointed Jackson County Family Court Commissioner Patrick Campbell to fill the circuit judge vacancy due to the retirement of Judge Charles Atwell.
      • The governor on May 10 appointed Kansas City attorney Mary F. Weir for the associate circuit judge vacancy on the 16th Judicial Circuit created by the retirement of Judge Christine Sill-Rogers.

  • 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County):
      • There currently are no vacancies in the 21st circuit.
  • 22nd Judicial Circuit (St. Louis city):
      • The governor on March 13 appointed St. Louis city drug court commissioner Michael W. Noble to fill the associate circuit judge vacancy due to the elevation of Judge Elizabeth B. Hogan to circuit judge.
      • The governor on Dec. 13 appointed St. Louis Associate Circuit Judge Elizabeth B. Hogan to fill the circuit judge vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Lisa Van Amburg to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.
  • 31st Judicial Circuit (Greene County):
      • There currently are no judicial vacancies in the 31st circuit.

Missouri Court of Appeals
  • The governor on April 3 appointed Clay County Circuit Judge Anthony Rex Gabbert, to fill the vacancy on the Western District due to the Feb. 15 retirement of Judge James M. Smart.

Supreme Court of Missouri
  • There currently are no judicial vacancies on the Supreme Court of Missouri.