Judicial Vacancies

Selection of judges in the Supreme Court, the Missouri Court of Appeals and six of the state's urban trial courts is governed by the merit-based nonpartisan court plan. In the remaining 109 counties, voters continue to choose trial judges through partisan elections. When an interim vacancy occurs in one of these counties, the governor traditionally appoints a new judge to serve. For more information about this application process, click here: interim judicial vacancies in trial courts.

The process of filing vacancies under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan requires the governor to select judges from a panel of three qualified applicants selected by a nonpartisan commission of citizens, lawyers and a judge. Voters then decide periodically whether to retain nonpartisan judges. For vacancies on the Supreme Court of Missouri and Missouri Court of Appeals, the nonpartisan commission is called the Appellate Judicial Commission. The six circuit courts subject to the nonpartisan plan have their own circuit judicial commissions.

Judicial commission elections

Voting opens next week for attorneys eligible under Rule 10 to vote for lawyer members of three circuit judicial commissions and the Southern District lawyer member of the Appellate Judicial Commission. Voting eligibility is determined by an attorney’s county of residence. Questions about the elections should be directed to the local circuit clerk for each circuit election and to the clerk of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, for the Appellate Judicial Commission election. Voting in all four elections closes at midnight Tuesday, November 4, 2025. See specific election information below.

Current Nonpartisan Judicial Vacancies

Circuit Courts

Sixth Judicial Circuit (Platte County):

There currently are no vacancies in Jackson County.
Judicial commission election: Voting opens Wednesday, October 8 for attorneys eligible under Rule 10 to vote for a new lawyer member of the 6th Circuit Judicial Commission.

Seventh Judicial Circuit (Clay County):

There currently are no vacancies in Jackson County.
Judicial commission election: Voting opens Wednesday, October 15 for attorneys eligible under Rule 10 to vote for a new lawyer member of the 7th Circuit Judicial Commission.

16th Judicial Circuit (Jackson County):

Applications are due October 15 for the Burnett and Youngs circuit judge vacancies in Jackson County.

21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County):

Applications are due September 30 for the Albus circuit judge vacancy in St. Louis County.

22nd Judicial Circuit (St. Louis city):

The commission on October 1 nominated Nicole Colbert-Botchway, Karma Johnson and Patrick Richmond for the Hettenbach circuit judge vacancy in St. Louis.
The commission on October 1 nominated Tanja Engelhardt, Brooke Hurst and Michael Walton for the Peebles associate circuit judge vacancy in St. Louis.

31st Judicial Circuit (Greene County):

There currently are no vacancies in Greene County.
Judicial commission election: Voting opens Wednesday, October 8 for attorneys eligible under Rule 10 to vote for a new lawyer member of the 31st Circuit Judicial Commission.

Missouri Court of Appeals

Applications are due Thursday, October 23 for the Stevens vacancy on the Eastern District appeals court.
Nominating petitions and biographical sketches are due October 6 for lawyers wishing to run for election as the Southern District member of the Appellate Judicial Commission.
The Appellate Judicial Commission on August 26 nominated Greene County Judge Josh Christensen, Jasper County Judge Joe Hensley and Sikeston lawyer Bryan Nickell for the Sheffield vacancy on the Southern District appeals court.
Judicial commission election: Voting opens Thursday, October 9 for attorneys eligible under Rule 10 to vote for a new Southern District lawyer member of the Appellate Judicial Commission.

Supreme Court of Missouri

There are currently no vacancies on the Supreme Court of Missouri.