St. Louis Circuit Court
Media Guide
A Brief History
Prior to 1930, St. Louis Circuit Court
was located at what is now the Old
Courthouse. It consisted of 13
courtrooms and, at a time when
commercial entertainment was sparse,
it was a popular public gathering place
for debates, speeches and court
proceedings.
The most famous of which was the
Dred Scott slavery case of 1850.
A St. Louis jury decided in favor of
granting Dred Scott his freedom, the
U.S. Supreme Court later overturned it
and the case became one of the early
sparks leading to the Civil War.
In 1930 Circuit Court, having
outgrown the Old Courthouse, was
moved into the new Civil Courts
Building at the corner of 12th and
Market. It took four years and $4.5
million to build.
Today, the 22nd Judicial Circuit
occupies two downtown buildings
(the Civil Courts Building and the
Carnahan Courthouse, which was
built in 1935 as a federal
courthouse,) and the Juvenile
Detention Center on Vandeventer.
Cases in St. Louis City are heard in
front of circuit judges, associate
circuit judges and commissioners.
We have 24 circuit judges,
7 associate judges and
5 commissioners.
Judge Michael Stelzer
Who’s Who
Presiding Judge Steven Ohmer
The operations of Circuit Court are governed by the Court
en Banc. The judges collectively make up the Court en
Banc and every two years they select one of their
colleagues to serve as Presiding Judge, who oversees the
daily administrative duties of the courthouse.
Jennifer Joyce
The Circuit Attorney is elected by St. Louis city
voters and oversees the prosecution of all adult
felony and misdemeanor cases.
Jim Murphy
The Sheriff is elected by the voters and is
responsible for hiring and supervising the
deputies who provide courthouse security.
Jane Schweitzer
The Circuit Clerk is an elected
official and supervises the courtroom
clerks and maintains the file rooms
where case files are stored.
Criminal Cases
Felony cases begin in Division 25. Misdemeanor cases begin in Division 26.
Both courtrooms are located on the first floor of the Carnahan Courthouse.
Cases typically stay in these divisions for several weeks while bond is set,
defense attorneys are assigned and preliminary hearings are held.
Once the case has run its course through the associate division, it is transferred
to a circuit level judge to be set for trial. Most criminal cases, however, end with
the defendant pleading guilty and thus avoiding a trial.
St. Louis has a very busy circuit court. We conduct more jury trials than any
other jurisdiction in Missouri. For criminal cases that do go to trial, it takes about
a year from the time the suspect is arrested until the trial will be held.
If found guilty, the sentencing will take another six weeks. That’s because the
judge orders what is called a SAR (Sentencing Assessment Report.) This is a
report generated by probation officers, which examines a defendant’s criminal
history, education, employment and other factors to determine his/her likelihood
of re-offending and offers the judge guidelines for appropriate sentencing.
Casenet
Criminal cases can be followed by typing the defendant’s name into
Casenet. From the time a defendant’s bond is set until a trial is
completed, each step of the process will be documented through
Casenet.
Looking at defendant Mario Coleman’s case you will notice that there are two case numbers.
0622-CR06095
0622-CR06095-01
associate division case
circuit level case
06 = the year the case was filed (2006)
22 = the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri (there are 45 circuits. St. Louis City is the 22nd.
St. Louis County is the 21st. Jefferson County is the 23rd. St. Charles County is the 11th.)
CR = criminal (as opposed to civil)
06095 = the 6,095th criminal case filed so far that year in the 22nd Circuit
The top number is the case while it was still in the associate
division.
If the case number as a -01 after it, that means the case
has worked its way through the associate division has been
transferred to a circuit level judge to be set for trial or for a
circuit judge to accept defendant’s guilty plea.
That bottom number is where you will find the case minutes
detailing pre-trial motions, jury selection, the trial and the
sentencing (or guilty plea if the defendant has chosen to
Judge Angela Quigless
plead.)
Most criminal trials in the city last about two days.
Jurors are summoned to the courthouse on Mondays and Wednesdays. If a trial starts on a
Monday, it will typically finish by Tuesday afternoon. If a trial starts on a Wednesday, it will
typically finish by Thursday afternoon. Sentencings usually take place on Fridays.
Adult trials are open proceedings. The trial will start with jury selection, when the prosecutor and
defense attorney question a large group of potential jurors and decide which 12 (plus alternates)
they want sitting on the jury. Once the jury has been selected, the next step is opening statements
(prosecution first, defense second—note: the defense is not required to give any opening
statement.) Here is where the attorneys lay out for the jury what the case is about and what
evidence is going to be presented. The next step is called the evidentiary phase and includes
testimony from and examination of witnesses. Once all the testimony has finished and exhibits
have been entered, the attorneys conclude their case with closing arguments, the judge reads
instructions to the jury, the jury deliberates and reaches a verdict. In criminal cases the verdict
must be unanimous (in civil cases a majority.) Jury deliberations are unpredictable. They can last
a few minutes, a few hours or even longer.
Following a Case
PROBABLE CAUSE STATEMENT
DATE: December 14, 2010
I, _____________, a law enforcement officer for the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, knowing that false
statements on this form are punishable by law, state that the facts contained herein are true.
I have probable cause to believe that DAVID EARL JONES, a B M DOB: 12/4/1961 Age: 49,
committed one or more criminal offense(s).
1. CNT: 1 ASSAULT 1st DEGREE
Date: 11/4/2010 Time: Place: 5022 Robin
(Class B Felony) RSMo 565.050
The facts supporting this belief are as follows:
I was informed by V.W. that the subject, David Jones, pushed him to the ground, removed a box cutter from his
pocket and stabbed V.W. in the neck, shoulder, head and wrist. V.W. went to St. Louis University Hospital
where his wounds were stitched. I observed a linear scar to V.W.’s neck, ear, left arm and chest that he says
was caused by Jones.
A probable cause statement briefly outlines the
witness(es) information offered to support the specific
charges filed by the prosecutor. The judge reviews the
probable cause to see if there is sufficient evidence to
merit a case proceeding through the system. If there is
not, the charges are denied. If there is sufficient
evidence, the case moves forward for additional review
by a judge or a grand jury.
RSMo = Revised Statutes State of Missouri
http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/statutes.htm
Missouri Revised Statutes
Chapter 558
Imprisonment
Section 558.011
August 28, 2011
Sentence of imprisonment, terms--conditional release.
558.011. 1. The authorized terms of imprisonment, including both prison and conditional release terms, are:
(1) For a class A felony, a term of years not less than ten years and not to exceed thirty years, or life
imprisonment;
(2) For a class B felony, a term of years not less than five years and not to exceed fifteen years;
(3) For a class C felony, a term of years not to exceed seven years;
(4) For a class D felony, a term of years not to exceed four years;
(5) For a class A misdemeanor, a term not to exceed one year;
(6) For a class B misdemeanor, a term not to exceed six months;
(7) For a class C misdemeanor, a term not to exceed fifteen days.
Looking at the Probable Cause Statement and the charge that the Circuit Attorney’s Office has issued and the
Court has authorized, assuming David Earl Jones is found guilty (and is not placed on probation) the harshest
punishment he could receive is 5 to 15 years in the penitentiary.
*The severity of sentence can increase if the defendant is deemed to be a prior and persistent offender.
Students from MICDS spend a day learning
how the court system works
Factoid
The prosecutor (in criminal cases) or plaintiff’s attorney (in civil cases) always sits at the table
closest to the jury box. This is the long-standing tradition in American courtrooms since the
prosecutor/plaintiff carries the “burden of proof” and must convince the jury to rule against the
defendant.
Juvenile Court
The rules of media coverage in juvenile court are much more restrictive than in the adult court
system. In Missouri, juvenile court has jurisdiction over accused offenders who are 16 and
younger at the time of the offense. 920 N. Vandeventer is where the juvenile courtrooms are
located, as well as the Juvenile Detention Center. On average about 30 kids are being held in
detention each day. Delinquency is not the only issue that juvenile court deals with. Many
St. Louis children who come into contact with the Court are not accused of committing a crime.
They are victims of abuse and neglect. The Court has authority to remove a child from an
abusive home and to place that child into foster care. The Court must also approve all
adoptions. The Court supervises abused/neglected children until age 21.
By law, some juvenile proceedings are open to the public and the media, while others
are not. Generally cameras and tape recorders are not allowed in juvenile proceedings
and juveniles should not be identified in the media, unless they have been charged as
an adult. Reporters are welcome to attend open hearings, but be aware that the
courtrooms at the Juvenile Center are much smaller than regular courtrooms and
arriving early is advised.
Open
Class A and Class B felony cases
Some Class C felony cases (if the child has 2 or more
prior convictions)
Certification hearings (certifying the child to stand trial
as an adult)
Child abuse and neglect proceedings; including
termination of parental rights
Closed
All adoptions
If the child is charged with a crime less than Class A
or B felony
A mandatory certification hearing occurs for a child of any age when the crime
committed is so serious that a judge needs to decide if the child should stand trial as an
adult. There are seven crimes that will automatically trigger a certification hearing:
-1st degree murder
-2nd degree murder
-1st degree assault
-1st degree robbery
-forcible rape
-forcible sodomy
-distribution of drugs
A juvenile will also face a certification hearing if he/she has two or more prior, unrelated
felony convictions.
Cameras in the Courtroom
Electronic media coverage in all Missouri courtrooms is regulated under Operating
Rule 16.
http://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=333
It is important to note that allowing cameras and recorders in the courtroom is up to the
discretion of the judge.
“Media coverage of a proceeding shall not be permitted if the judge concludes that
under the circumstances of the particular proceeding such coverage would materially
interfere with the rights of the parties to a fair trial.”
If there is a proceeding you are interested in recording contact the Public Information
Office.
List of Judges by Seniority
Robert Dierker
Timothy Wilson
David Mason
Thomas Frawley
Jimmie Edwards
Michael David
Margaret Neill
Thomas Grady
John Riley
Julian Bush
Philip Heagney
Dennis Schaumann
Joan Moriarty
Steven Ohmer
David Dowd
Mark Neill
Lisa Van Amburg
Angela T. Quigless
Jack Garvey
Edward Sweeney
Bryan Hettenbach
Michael Mullen
Robin Vannoy
Rex M. Burlison
1986
1989
1991
1991
1992
1992
1993
1994
1995
1995
1996
1997
1998
2000
2001
2002
2003
2003
2004
2005
2008
2008
2008
2011
Judge David Mason
Judge John
Riley
Judge Lisa Van Amburg
Associate Judges
Barbara Peebles
Calea Stovall-Reid
Michael Stelzer
Paula Perkins Bryant
Elizabeth Hogan
Thomas Clark
Theresa Burke
2000
2003
2004
2004
2005
2006
2008
Judge Julian Bush
Commissioners
Anne-Marie Clarke - Family Court
Patrick Connaghan - Probate
Michael Noble - Drug Court
James Sullivan - Drug Court
Robert Ward - Probate/Family Court
Judge Joan Moriarty
St. Louis Circuit Court
Public Information Office
Matt Murphy
314.622.5685
[email protected]