Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District
Jurisdiction

Article V, section 3 of the Missouri Constitution grants the court of appeals general appellate jurisdiction in all cases not within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Missouri Supreme Court. ("The supreme court shall have exclusive appellate jurisdiction in all cases involving the validity of a treaty or statute of the United States, or of a statute or provision of the constitution of this state, the construction of the revenue laws of this state, the title to any state office and in all cases where the punishment imposed is death.") Article V, section 4 of the constitution further provides that each district of the court of appeals "shall have general superintending control over all courts and tribunals in its jurisdiction" and authorizes the district to "issue and determine original remedial writs."

The southern district's territorial jurisdiction is fixed by section 477.060 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo). The district includes the following counties: Barry, Barton, Bollinger, Butler, Camden, Carter, Cedar, Christian, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Greene, Hickory, Howell, Iron, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, Maries, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, St. Clair, Stoddard, Stone, Taney, Texas, Wayne, Webster, and Wright.

NOTE: Except by different stipulation of the parties, all cases from the counties of Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Crawford, Dent, Dunklin, Iron, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, and Wayne are heard at Poplar Bluff. See section 477.220 RSMo.