As debate looms in the Missouri Senate on a constitutional amendment altering the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan, The Missouri Bar is reiterating its opposition to changing the way the state chooses some of its judges. Bar President Tom Burke and President-elect Skip Walther held a press conference on Tuesday morning to skewer proposed changes offered in House Joint Resolution 10. The two attorneys portrayed the alterations as a way of injecting politics into the plan and giving more power over judicial selection to the governor.

Tagged with: Appellate Judicial Commission Charlie Shields Matt Bartle Missouri Bar Missouri Plan Nonpartisan Court Plan Skip Walther Stanley Cox Tom Burke

To the editor: If there is a lesson to be learned from the current economic crisis, it is that we can either pay attention to what our government is doing or we will pay the price for not paying attention. ...

Tagged with: economy HJR 10 Missouri Plan Nonpartisan Court Plan

Less than a day after it won initial approval in the Missouri House, a resolution altering Missouri's Nonpartisan Court Plan was sent to the Senate on Thursday. (pictured at left) Rep. Stanley Cox's resolution passed 85-72, three votes more than the constitutionally needed amount to send legislation to the Senate. Among other things, Cox's resolution would increase the number of judicial nominees from three to four. Watch video of Cox talking about the court plan. Click here to see how lawyers in the House voted.

Tagged with: Appellate Judicial Commission Bryan Pratt Missouri Missouri House Nonpartisan Court Plan Rachel Bringer Stanley Cox

A group advocating changes to Missouri’s plan for selecting judges wants to know how actively involved the Supreme Court has been in fighting that effort. James Harris, director of Better Courts for Missouri, filed a Sunshine Law request Wednesday with ...

Tagged with: Jim Lembke Joint Resolution judge selection Nonpartisan Court Plan Stanley Cox Sunshine Law

For the past few years, opponents have ramped up efforts to change the composition of the state’s Nonpartisan Court Plan. Some have argued that the process is too secretive and provides too much power to trial attorneys. On Tuesday, a ...

Tagged with: Appellate Judicial Commission Nonpartisan Court Plan Stanley Cox The Missouri Bar trail attorney

Municipal judges in Kansas City are part of the state’s 16th Judicial Circuit, but their paychecks come from the city. They are selected through a system very similar to Missouri’s Nonpartisan Court Plan, but the Kansas City Council makes the ...

Tagged with: Clay County Kansas City Council Melissa Howard Missouri Court of Appeals Western District Missouri Human Rights Act municipal judges Nonpartisan Court Plan Patricia Cohen Platte County Vic Howard