Missouri

The Missouri Bar’s judicial-review committee has released evaluations of the 51 judges standing for retention in November, recommending against the retention of Judge Dale W. Hood. Judge Hood also received a “not be retained” recommendation in 2008 but was retained by 54 percent of the vote.

In a state where judicial elections are nonpartisan in the sense that party affiliation does not appear on the ballot, the state Republican party endorsed three supreme court candidates, including two incumbents.

For Governor Dayton’s first appointment to the supreme court, the judicial selection commission nominated four candidates, including a U.S. attorney and three judges. The vacancy was created by Justice Helen Meyer’s retirement.

The Republican candidate for attorney general voiced his support for moving to a federal system of selecting judges. Such a proposal passed a house committee in March and is under consideration in the senate judiciary committee.

Supporters of a ballot measure that would alter the composition of the nominating commission for appellate court vacancies are unhappy with the issue summary prepared by the secretary of state’s office and plan to file a lawsuit. The proposed amendment’s sponsor describes part of the summary as “flat-out untrue” and calls the secretary of state a “dishonest broker of partisan politics.”

The appellate judicial commission invited applications for the supreme court vacancy to be created by Judge Ray Price’s October retirement. In announcing his plans to retire, Judge Price expressed his support for the state’s merit selection system and his hope that it would be used to choose his successor.

In November, voters will decide whether to make changes to the composition of the appellate judicial commission, which screens and nominates potential appointees for the supreme court and court of appeals.

The senate approved a bill that would alter the process for nominating appellate judges. The judge member of the appellate judicial commission would be replaced by a gubernatorial appointee.

The Republican candidate for attorney general voiced his support for moving to a federal system of selecting judges. Such a proposal passed a house committee in March and is under consideration in the senate judiciary committee.

In an en banc ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit restored provisions of the state code of judicial conduct that bar judges and judicial candidates from personally soliciting or accepting contributions from groups of fewer than 20 people, and from endorsing other political candidates.