Please select a district either by clicking the appropriate area on the map of Missouri shown on the left or by selecting from the drop-down box above
The Missouri Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court. It handles appeals from the local circuit courts. That means, if a party loses at the circuit court and believes a mistake was made, that party may file an appeal. The Court of Appeals handles all appeals except those in the Supreme Court’s exclusive jurisdiction. Cases initially decided by the Court of Appeals may be transferred from the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court. Historically, less than 10 percent of appeals are transferred to the Supreme Court. Thus, for the vast majority of appeals, the Court of Appeals decision is final.
The Court of Appeals may hear oral argument from each side, in which each side answers the judges’ questions. In the Court of Appeals, there are no juries or witnesses; the parties argue their cases before the judges, and the judges determine whether there were prejudicial mistakes made at the trial below. The public may attend.
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, gubernatorial appointment and retention by the voters at the ballot box.
