Rule 19 | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

First Adopted: June 13, 1979

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 2017

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.01 | Misdemeanors or Felonies – Rules – When Applicable

Rules 19 to 36, inclusive, govern the procedure in all courts of this state having jurisdiction of criminal proceedings. Rule 41.08, Rule 103 and Court Operating Rule 27 shall apply to all matters subject to electronic filing. To the extent there is a conflict between Rule 103 and Rules 19 to 36, Rule 103 shall apply.

Committee Note – 1979

This is substantially the same as prior Rule 36.01. Compare: Rule 41.01(a).


(Adopted June 13, 1979, effective January 1, 1980. Amended January 27, 2011. effective September 1, 2011; amended May 19, 2016, effective January 1, 2017.)

First Adopted: June 13, 1979

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 1980

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.02 | Misdemeanors or Felonies – Rules – Authority for – Statutes Superseded

Rules 19 to 36, inclusive, are promulgated pursuant to authority granted this Court by Section 5 of Article V of the constitution of Missouri and supersede all statutes and court rules inconsistent therewith.

Committee Note – 1979

This is the same as Rule 41.02 except for the rule numbers. Compare: Prior Rule 36.02.


(Adopted June 13, 1979, effective January 1, 1980.)

First Adopted: June 13, 1979

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 1980

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.03 | Misdemeanors or Felonies – Rules – Construction

Rules 19 to 36, inclusive, shall be construed to secure the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every criminal proceedings.

Committee Note – 1979

This is the same as Rule 41.03 except for the rule numbers and the reference to criminal proceedings rather than civil actions. Compare: Prior Rule 36.02.


(Adopted June 13, 1979, effective January 1, 1980.)

First Adopted: June 13, 1979

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 1980

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.04 | Misdemeanors or Felonies – Rules – When not Applicable – Procedure

If no procedure is specially provided by rule, the court having jurisdiction shall proceed in a manner consistent with judicial decisions or applicable statutes.

Committee Note – 1979

This is substantially the same as prior Rule 36.04. Compare: Rule 41.04.


(Adopted June 13, 1979, effective January 1, 1980.)

First Adopted: June 13, 1979

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 1980

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.05 | Misdemeanors or Felonies – Rules – Definitions

As used in Rules 19 to 36, inclusive, the term "law" includes rules, statutes and judicial decisions; "oath" includes affirmations; "prosecuting attorney" includes the Circuit Attorney of the City of St. Louis, the Attorney General of the State of Missouri, and associate and assistant prosecuting attorneys, assistant circuit attorneys and assistant attorneys general where, by law, they are authorized and permitted to act.

Committee Note – 1979

This is substantially the same as prior Rule 36.05 except that the definition of "Circuit Court" has been deleted because of a change in the court structure.


(Adopted June 13, 1979, effective January 1, 1980.)

First Adopted: June 13, 1979

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 1980

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.06 | Misdemeanors or Felonies – Rules – Applicable to Pending Proceedings

Rules 19 to 36, inclusive, shall govern all criminal proceedings after the effective date of the rules unless their application in a criminal proceedings pending when the rules take effect would result in injustice, in which event the former procedure applies.

Committee Note – 1979

This is substantially the same as Rule 41.06.


(Adopted June 13, 1979, effective January 1, 1980.)

First Adopted: June 13, 1979

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 1980

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.07 | Misdemeanors or Felonies – Rules of Court of Appeals and Trial Courts – Copy to Clerk of This Court – Distribution

The Missouri Court of Appeals, districts thereof, and trial courts may make rules governing the administration of judicial business if the rules are not inconsistent with the rules of this Court, the Constitution or statutory law in force.

Upon their promulgation, copies of any such rules shall be furnished to the clerk of this Court. The clerk of each court shall from time to time compile all of the current rules and maintain copies thereof for distribution among members of the bar and litigants.

Committee Note – 1979

This is the same as Rule 50.01.


(Adopted June 13, 1979, effective January 1, 1980.)

First Adopted: June 13, 1979

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 1980

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.08 | Infractions – Procedure

The procedure for the prosecution of infractions shall be the same as the procedure for the prosecution of misdemeanors.

Committee Note – 1979

This is new.


(Adopted June 13, 1979, effective January 1, 1980.)

First Adopted: August 16, 1983

Most Recently Effective: January 01, 2024

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.09 | Pleadings and Papers – Size – Form – Recycled Paper

Appellate court briefs shall be prepared as provided in Rule 84.06. 

Petitions, motions, transcripts and legal files shall comply with Rule 84.03.

All pleadings and other papers, except exhibits, offered for filing in any court and all forms used in any court, including opinions, shall be on paper of a size not larger than 8 1/2 X 11 inches.

An exhibit may be on paper larger than size 8 1/2 X 11 inches.

The use of recycled paper is acceptable and encouraged.


(Adopted August 16, 1983, effective July 1, 1984. Amended June 1, 1993, effective January 1, 1994; amended December 15, 2000, effective July 1, 2001; amended March 7, 2023, effective January 1, 2024.)

First Adopted: June 28, 2022

Most Recently Effective: July 01, 2023

Rule 19 | Rules of Criminal Procedure | Infractions, Misdemeanors or Felonies – General

19.10 | Redaction Requirements

(a) Redaction of Confidential Information. Unless otherwise ordered by the court, any counsel, party, or other person offering a document for filing in any court shall redact information that is confidential pursuant to statute, court rule or order, or other law. Such confidential information can include, but is not limited to: 

(1) Social security numbers, driver's license numbers, state identification numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, and passport numbers; 

(2) Financial institution account numbers, credit or debit card numbers, personal identification numbers, or passwords used to secure any such accounts or cards; 

(3) Names, addresses, and contact information of informants, victims, witnesses, and persons protected under orders of protection or restraining orders; 

(4) Dates of birth;

(5) Names of individuals known to be minors; and 

(6) Case numbers of confidential, expunged, or sealed records.

Filers should also exercise caution when filing documents that include medical records, employment history, financial records, proprietary information, or trade secrets.

(b) Responsibility for Redacting. For all documents offered for filing in any court, the responsibility for redacting confidential information rests solely with the counsel, party, or other person filing the document.

(c) Manner of Redacting. All redactions shall be done in a manner that makes it clear that the information has been redacted. If necessary to reference the redacted information in a redacted document, filers shall use generic descriptors.

(d) Redacted Information – How Provided. When a filer redacts information from a document offered for filing in any court, the filer also must contemporaneously file a confidential redacted information filing sheet that either: 

(1) has the unredacted version of the document attached thereto; or

(2) sets out the information redacted from the document and explains either where the information was redacted from in the document or the generic descriptors used in the document to reference the redacted information. 

(e) Certification. All filers shall affirmatively certify compliance with the redaction requirements in this Rule when a document is filed. This certification shall be accomplished through an automated process implemented in the electronic filing system for its authorized users or, for filers who are not authorized users of the electronic filing system, by a paper form attached to the document or on the document itself.


(Adopted June 28, 2022, effective July 1, 2023.)