ST. LOUIS – There are 52 nonpartisan judges are on Missouri ballots this November. At least two of them will be on every ballot statewide.
The Missouri Bar serves tens of thousands of the state’s practicing attorneys. Their non-partisan independent committee is called “The Missouri Judicial Performance Review.” It was created in 1944 by order of the Missouri Supreme Court.
For decades, the committee has reviewed the performance of nonpartisan judges up for retention. If a judge has recently finished serving on the bench for at least a year or nears the end of a term, he or she is up for retention in the next closest general election so long as the committee gives a recommendation.
The committee considers a variety of information about each judge, including lawyers’ ratings of judges, jurors’ ratings of some trial judges, and written opinions from judges. A recommendation from the committee determines that the judge substantially meets the overall judicial performance standard and will appear on the next general election ballot.
Once up for retention, a simple majority of “yes” votes, at least more than 50% of voters, allows the judge in office for a full term. Unlike judges in the federal system, judges in Missouri do not serve for life, but rather designated terms.
Voters might not know all the names of the names of the judges or know much about their decisions. There are resources to help you make an informed decision, many available through YourMissouriJudges.org.
Judges up for retention in the Nov. 8 election include those representing the Supreme Court of Missouri, five circuit courts and three courts of appeals districts.
Supreme Court of Missouri
Fischer and Ransom will appear on every statewide ballot.
Missouri Court of Appeals
Alok AhujaKelly C. BroniecDon E. Burrell Jr.Thomas C. Clark IIMichael E. GardnerJack GoodmanKaren MitchellMark PfeifferDouglas ThomsonJohn P. Torbitzky
A few of these names could appear on your ballots, depending on your place of polling in Missouri.
St. Louis City Judges
CIRCUIT JUDGES
John Bird Bryan HettenbachDavid MasonChristopher McGraughMichael Mullen
ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGES
St. Louis County Judges
CIRCUIT JUDGES
Jason DodsonThomas AbusWilliam CorriganEllen Levy
ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGES
Mondonna GhasediJoseph L. GreenJohn LasaterAmanda Bundren McNeleyJeffrey P. MedlerJulia Pusateri LasaterEllen Wyatt Dunne
Clay County Judges
CIRCUIT JUDGES
ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGES
Greene County Judges
ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGES
T. Todd MyersMargaret PalmiettoMark Powell
Jackson County Judges
CIRCUIT JUDGES
S. Margene BurnettAdam L. CaineSarah A. CastleJoel P. FahnestockJennifer PhillipsBryan RoundJ. Dale YoungsJerri Zhang
ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGES
Jessica AgnellyKea Bird-RileyJeffrey BushurSusan LongTwila RigbyMary Frances WeirR. Travis Willingham
Platte County Judges
CIRCUIT JUDGES
Thomas C. FinchmanW. Ann Hansbrough
ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGES
The Missouri Judicial Performance Review finds all of these judges substantially meet overall judicial performance standards.
The election is on Nov. 8. FOX 2 will provide results and live coverage after the polls close. For FOX 2’s in-depth Voter’s Guide on the November 2022 election, click here.