The Missouri Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court

Appellate court

An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...

 for the state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

. The court handles most of the appeal

Appeal

An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....

s from the Missouri Circuit Courts

Missouri Circuit Courts

The Missouri Circuit Courts are the state trial courts of original jurisdiction and general jurisdiction of the state of Missouri.-Jurisdiction:The Missouri Constitution provides for the Circuit Courts in Article V, Judicial Department.-List of circuits:...

. The court is divided into three districts: Eastern (based in St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

), Western (based in Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

), and Southern (based in Springfield

Springfield, Missouri

Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...

).

Jurisdiction

The Missouri Court of Appeals has jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...

 over all appeals which do not fall under the exclusive jurisdiction

Exclusive jurisdiction

In civil procedure, exclusive jurisdiction exists where one court has the power to adjudicate a case to the exclusion of all other courts. It is the opposite situation from concurrent jurisdiction, in which more than one court may take jurisdiction over the case.Exclusive jurisdiction is typically...

 of the Supreme Court of Missouri

Supreme Court of Missouri

The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820, and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give the Supreme Court exclusive jurisdiction- the sole legal power to hear -...

. The five categories of appeals over which the Supreme Court exercises exclusive jurisdiction are:

• The validity of a United States statute
  Statute
  A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
  
   or treaty
  Treaty
  A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
  
  .
• The validity of a Missouri statute or constitutional provision.
• The state's revenue laws.
• Challenges to a statewide elected official's right to hold office.
• Imposition of the death penalty.

Historically, less than ten percent of the appeals heard by the Missouri Court of Appeals are transferred to the Supreme Court. Thus, for the vast majority of appeals, the Court of Appeals decision is final.

Judges

There are fourteen judge

Judge

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

s in the Eastern District, eleven judges in the Western District, and seven judges in the Southern District. Judges are selected via the Missouri Plan

Missouri Plan

The Missouri Plan is a method for the selection of judges. It originated in Missouri in 1940, and has been adopted by several states of the United States...

.

Under the Constitution of Missouri, Court of Appeals judges must be at least 30 years old, licensed to practice law

Admission to the bar in the United States

In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...

 in Missouri, a United States citizen for at least 15 years, a qualified voter of the state for nine years preceding selection, and a resident of the appellate district in which the judge serves. Judges serve a term of twelve years, but may seek additional terms. Mandatory retirement age for judges is 70, after which a judge may elect to go on senior status

Senior status

Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...

.

Eastern District (St. Louis)

• Hon. Nannette A. Baker, Chief Judge
• Hon. Clifford H. Ahrens
• Hon. Patricia L. Cohen
• Hon. Kathianne Knaup Crane
• Hon. Robert G. Dowd, Jr.
• Hon. George W. Draper III
• Hon. Mary Kathryn Hoff
• Hon. Lawrence E. Mooney
• Hon. Glenn A. Norton
• Hon. Kurt S. Odenwald
• Hon. Roy L. Richter
• Hon. Kenneth M. Romines
• Hon. Booker T. Shaw
• Hon. Sherri B. Sullivan

Western District (Kansas City)

• Hon. Lisa White Hardwick, Chief Judge
• Hon. Alok Ahuja
• Hon. Joseph M. Ellis
• Hon. Victor C. Howard
• Hon. Cynthia R. Martin
• Hon. Karen K. Mitchell
• Hon. Thomas H. Newton
• Hon. Mark D. Pfeiffer
• Hon. James M. Smart, Jr.
• Hon. James E. Welsh
• Hon. Gary D. Witt
• Hon. Jeanlouise K. Chrisman

Southern District (Springfield)

• Hon. Gary W. Lynch, Chief Judge
• Hon. John E. Parrish
• Hon. Robert S. Barney
• Hon. Nancy Steffen Rahmeyer
• Hon. Jeffrey W. Bates
• Hon. Daniel E. Scott
• Hon. Don E. Burrell, Jr.

External links

• Official homepage of the Missouri Court of Appeals