Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Attorney General Chris Koster's chief of staff to be a commissioner for the Public Service Commission. Robert Kenney (pictured), who joined the attorney general's office late last year when Koster was transitioning into statewide office, was tapped to join the commission that regulates Missouri utilities. He will replace Commissioner Connie Murray, whose term expired. The appointment of Kenney provides a jolt of sorts to Koster's administration. Previously a partner at Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus, Kenney was one of the first people Koster hired onto his staff.

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Criminal defense lawyer Ellen “Nellie” Ribaudo will become the next associate circuit judge in St. Louis County. Gov. Jay Nixon announced the appointment Thursday afternoon. “I thought I would remember every word he said, but of course I didn’t,” Ribaudo ...

Tagged with: Bruce F. Hilton Ellen "Nellie" Ribaudo Jay Nixon Kristine Kerr

In a move that surprised few, Gov. Jay Nixon has appointed his longtime aide, Karen King Mitchell, to the Western District Court of Appeals. Mitchell was one of three finalists for a vacancy on the Kansas City-based appellate court. That ...

Tagged with: Jay Nixon Karen King Mitchell Mark Pfeiffer Missouri Court of Appeals Western District Paul Spinden

Lawyers waiting for new issues of Oklahoma Digest or the Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report to arrive at the Supreme Court Library have been out of luck for quite some time. Those publications are among an array of periodicals and treatises that received the ax at the Jefferson City facility at the beginning of the decade. The library has been underfunded for years and has continued to remain afloat by cutting hardback subscriptions and sometimes reverting to online options. The library was set to receive some relief this year when the Legislature allocated $100,000 worth of federal stimulus money, but Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the appropriation.

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Three administrative law judges contesting their dismissals will get at least a couple more weeks to continue at their posts. Jon Beetem, a Cole County circuit judge, has issued a temporary restraining order against the state in its bid to lay off three administrative law judges. Without such an order, the three men - Henry Herschel, Matthew Murphy and John A. Tackes - would have been forced to leave their positions by tomorrow.

Tagged with: administrative law judges Henry Herschel Jay Nixon John Tackes Jon Beetem Matthew Murphy

Gov. Jay Nixon has spared the judiciary and the public defender system from any line-item vetoes. But the governor's budget chief said the judiciary won't necessarily be shielded from another round of state employee layoffs. Nixon announced on Thursday morning that he had vetoed $105 million from the fiscal year 2010 budget, which takes effect on July 1. In addition, Nixon said $325 million in spending will be withheld until revenues improve. However, Nixon basically refrained from vetoing items related to either the judiciary or the public defender's office.

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misspelled attorney John Comerford’s name in two instances. The Daily Record regrets the error. Below is the correct version. Three dismissed administrative law judges have filed a lawsuit against Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration, ...

Tagged with: administrative law judges Henry Herschel Jay Nixon John Tackes Matthew Murphy

Three dismissed administrative law judges have filed a lawsuit against Gov. Jay Nixon's administration, arguing that their removal was illegal under state statute. The three men - Henry Herschel (pictured), Matthew Murphy and John A. Tackes - are plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed today in Cole County Court. The 41-page petition (click here to read) alleges that Nixon's administration and the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations unlawfully dismissed the judges.

Tagged with: administrative law judges X Henry Herschel X Jack H. Kn Henry Herschel Jay Nixon John A. Tackes Matthew Murphy

Some lawyers questioning authority for terminations

Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday framed cuts his administration made among the state's administrative law judges as a continuation of the policies of previous Gov. Matt Blunt. "They're not Article V judges," Nixon said. "In the last administration they lessened the number of folks in that department already. We felt that continuing to lean that up was appropriate with the budget challenges we face. I'm confident that the remaining commissioners will be able to handle the workload."