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Clerk Handbooks

Supreme Court Rules




Section/Rule:

5.31

Subject:

Rule 5 - Rules Governing the Missouri Bar and the Judiciary - Complaints and Proceedings Thereon

Publication / Adopted Date:

June 20, 1995

Topic:

Records Under Rule 5; Confidential Records and Proceedings; Public Documents and Proceedings; Redaction Requirements; Protective Orders; Permissive Disclosure; Dissemination of Disciplinary Information

Revised / Effective Date:

July 1, 2023


5.31 Records Under Rule 5; Confidential Records and Proceedings; Public Documents and Proceedings; Redaction Requirements; Protective Orders; Permissive Disclosure; Dissemination of Disciplinary Information

(a) Confidential Records and Proceedings. (b) Public Documents and Proceedings. (c) Protective Orders and Closing Records After Disposition. A protective order may be issued upon application, or on the motion of the presiding officer or the chair of the Advisory Committee, and for good cause shown to protect the interests of a complainant, witness, third party, or respondent. A party seeking to file a document or other item that is confidential or privileged by operation of law shall seek a protective order.
If a disciplinary hearing panel recommends dismissal of an information and the Chief Disciplinary Counsel accepts the recommendation, records of the information shall be confidential upon request of the respondent.

If this Court dismisses an information, the respondent may move to have records of the information sealed from public access. (d) Permissible Disclosure of Confidential Records. (e) Dissemination of Disciplinary Information. Notice of discipline imposed by this Court under this Rule 5 and reinstatements shall be given by the Chief Disciplinary Counsel:
This Court, the Chief Disciplinary Counsel, the Legal Ethics Counsel, and The Missouri Bar may disseminate public records of lawyer discipline by additional means including electronic records to ensure public access to a lawyer's status, contact information, disciplinary history, and pending public disciplinary matters through a single point of access. The Chief Disciplinary Counsel also may transmit copies of such records to other tribunals and agencies.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE REGULATION RE: RULE 5.31: PUBLIC
AND MEDIA ACCESS TO MATTERS PENDING BEFORE A
DISCIPLINARY HEARING PANEL

(a) Definitions. (b) Open Proceedings. Each proceeding in which an information has been filed and in which an answer or other responsive pleading has been received is public as provided in Rule 5.31. Public and media access to matters pending before a disciplinary hearing panel shall be in accordance with this Rule 5.31 and Regulation. No member of the public or media shall have access to matters or proceedings that are confidential or subject to a protective order pursuant to this Rule 5.31. Anyone seeking to disrupt a proceeding shall leave the hearing room at the request of the presiding officer.

(c) Public and Media Access to Attend Hearings. Members of the public and media may attend disciplinary hearings that are public in accordance with this Rule 5.31 and Regulation. Recording of such proceedings shall be prohibited except for members of the media who have provided notice requesting media coverage and been granted such permission by the presiding officer in accordance with this Regulation. No person may use any device capable of media coverage in a hearing room unless specifically authorized under the provisions of this Regulation.

(d) Procedural.
(e) Conditions of Media Coverage. Media coverage of a disciplinary proceeding will be permitted in the hearing room if expressly authorized by order of the presiding officer and under the following conditions:
(f) Technical. (Approved November 14, 2012, effective January 1, 2013, Amended December 27, 2016, effective July 1, 2017; amended October 22, 2018, effective January 1, 2019; amended May 31, 2022, effective January 1, 2023; amended November 22, 2022; January 1, 2023; amended May 23, 2023, effective July 1, 2023.)