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| Missouri Court Records- Listed below is contact information and/or links to websites containing resources to help in a search for Missouri court records. | |||
| Missouri Courts Online Access to State and County Judicial Records Data | |||
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The Missouri court system is a three-tiered organization with more than 400 judges and commissioners and more than 2,800 employees handling more than one million new case filings each year. Supreme Court of Missouri The Supreme Court is the state’s highest court, and also holds supervisory authority over all other Missouri courts. It adopts rules for the practice of law and courtroom procedures throughout the state. The state constitution requires that the Supreme Court review certain cases as a matter of right, including death penalty appeals. However, in most types of cases, the court has discretion over whether to accept the appeal. The court usually will accept transfer of a case from the Court of Appeals if it deals with a legal matter of general interest or importance to the state, or if there appears to be a conflict of law between two appellate districts or two appellate court opinions. The court’s seven judges generally sit together, known as “en banc,” to decide all cases, motions and other matters that come before the panel. By state constitution, only the chief of the court is called a “justice,” the others are merely “judges.” The present chief justice is Laura Denvir Stith. Information about the court is available at the state court system’s Web site. That data includes links to Supreme Court minutes, rules, news and announcements, and of course the court’s docket and opinions. Missouri Court of Appeals Missouri’s Court of Appeals is divided into three regional districts, the Eastern, Southern and Western. Any party which loses a case at the circuit court level may file an appeal, which in most cases is then heard by a three-judge panel at the appropriate regional district of the Court of Appeals. Some cases are appealed directly to the Supreme Court, but most are first directed to the Court of Appeals. The judges of the Court of Appeals are selected under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan, which includes selection by the Appellate Judicial Commission based on merit, actual appointment to the post by the governor, and then retention on the court by voters at the ballot box. For the appeal process, a record of the occurrences in Circuit Court is accompanied by a brief written by both sides of the cases, detailing their positions and arguments, particularly based on past court decisions and laws. The 32 judges of the Court of Appeals panel may hear oral arguments from each side, with attorneys answering questions posed by the judges. However, there are no juries and no witnesses. The court’s opinions are posted to its Web site as soon as they are delivered. Missouri's Circuit Court Missouri’s circuit courts are the state’s courts of original civil and criminal jurisdiction. That means cases usually begin in circuit court, which is where the trials also may occur. Within each circuit court there are numerous divisions, including associate circuit, small claims, municipal, family, probate, criminal and juvenile courts. Missouri’s counties and the city of St. Louis are organized into 45 judicial circuits. There is a circuit courtroom in every county, typically in the county seat (or city of St. Louis), though there might be locations in other parts of some counties. Missouri's Special Courts Missouri’s legal system also includes a variety of specialized courts that are divisions of the circuit courts. These divisions hear cases involving juveniles, family law, drug offenders and, in the probate division, cases involving the estates of people who have died or become disabled. There are some Mental Health Court operations, and Teen Court divisions in some locations, as well. Each specialized court is created either by legislative act or court rule to deal with particular areas of concern to the local and state citizens. Other Information: Missouri’s state courts Web site also includes links to other useful information or services. Juror information, court forms, a fine collection center and information about representing oneself in court. |
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| Missouri Online Access to State & County Court Web Sites | |||
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Office of the State Court Administrator Homepage Western District Appellate Court Southern District Appellate Court Opinions for All Missouri Appellate Courts Missouri Circuit Courts Homepage United States District Court - Eastern District of Missouri United States District Court - Western District of Missouri US District Court - Western District of Missouri United States Bankruptcy Court - Eastern District of Missouri Your Missouri Courts - Case.net - Search for case numbers, filing dates, litigant names and scheduled hearings. Missouri Judicial Records Database - Search index and abstracts of civil, criminal and probate court cases. Missouri State Archives - Search Collection Catalog of historic court records. Missouri State Courts - Search Opinions and Minutes of the Appellate Court Missouri Courts - Search dockets and oral arguments from the district courts. Missouri Supreme Court Library - Directory of the law libraries holdings and a description of services for the public. |
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| Missouri County Courthouses Addresses and Phone Numbers | |||
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