As Election Day approaches, a nonpartisan committee gave the green light for dozens of Missouri judges set to appear on the November ballot.
The Missouri Judicial Performance Review Committee is comprised of lawyers, non-lawyers and retired judges who review the judges set to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot for re-election. The committee operates independently of the judiciary and the Missouri Bar, which is tasked with sharing its findings with the public and funding the review. Evaluations are based on anonymous surveys completed by lawyers as well as responses from some jurors and the written options submitted by these judges based on their legal reasoning and clarity.
While most Missouri judges are selected through partisan races, the city and county of St. Louis, alongside Platte, Greene and Jackson counties, see their appellate and trial judges selected through the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan. Potential judges in those areas are screened by commissions, which select the three most qualified candidates and send them on to the governor to appoint a candidate.
Those who are appointed to the position then face a retention vote after their first year on the bench and at the end of each term.
Those areas affected by the Nonpartisan Court Plan, in addition to the high court and the Eastern, Southern and Western districts of the Missouri Court of Appeals will all have the chance to vote on the retention of judges in November.
Ballots simply ask Missouri voters whether or not the judge shall be retained. Judges require a simple majority to keep their seats. If the majority votes against retention, a judge would serve out the remainder of the year and a replacement would then be appointed.
Judicial Performance Review Committee Chair Larry Tucker discussed the results during a virtual press conference Tuesday, announcing all 56 of the judges due for a retention vote this year had met the committee's standards. He said the evaluation practice is a way to ensure voters go into Election Day informed and ready.
"The people have shown that they are interested in retaining good judges who are fair and impartial, prompt and efficient, and who provide equal justice for all," Tucker said. "The voters of Missouri are interested in having reliable, merit-based information about our nonpartisan judges when they go to the polls to cast their ballots for or against retention of trial court judges in the Sixth Circuit's nonpartisan judges, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Missouri.
"The goal of the judicial performance review program is to provide voters with reliable information about our judges."
"Overall, the survey results for 2022 show that Missourians have outstanding judges at every level," Tucker added.
Two judges on the Missouri Supreme Court were up for review and retention in this cycle and will be voted on statewide: Judge Robin Ransom took her spot on the bench last year after being appointed by Gov. Mike Parson. Zel M. Fischer, who was also included for the review, has sat on the Supreme Court since 2008. The review stated both judges substantially meet the state's overall judicial performance standards.
Cole County voters will also see judges from the Western District Court of Appeals on their ballots: Judge Alok Ahuja was appointed to the bench in 2007 and served as the Western District's chief judge from 2014-16. Judge Karen Mitchell was appointed to the court in 2009 and served as its chief judge from 2018-20, while Judge Mark Pfeiffer was appointed in 2009 and served as chief judge from 2016-18. Judge Douglass Thompson, who was appointed to the bench in 2020, is also up for a retention vote.
All four judges were deemed by the committee to meet overall judicial performance standards.
In all, two Supreme Court judges, 10 judges on Courts of Appeals, 22 circuit judges and 22 associate judges were up for review this year.
Election Day is Nov. 8, and all Missouri voters will have at least four appellate judges who will appear on the ballot, according to the committee.
It was also noted during the news conference that Tuesday was the first day of absentee voting for Missourians. There will also be two weeks of no-excuse absentee voting in the lead-up to Election Day.