The Missouri Bar

Law in Your Life #54: Non-Partisan Court Plan

This week, Congressman Kenny Hulshof said he wanted to change the way judges are selected in Missouri. His proposal would eradicate the non-partisan court plan, the current way judges are appointed. What does the gubernatorial candidate's proposal mean to you? Law in Your Life host Angela Wilson finds out from Skip Walther, president elect of The Missouri Bar.

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Hulshof Wants to Ditch Non-Partisan Court Plan

Republican Rep. Kenny Hulshof says Missouri needs to change the way judges are selected. This week, he released a proposal that would alter the Non-Partisan Court Plan, approved by voters in 1940 as a way to keep politics out of the judicial selection process. The Missourinet explains Hulshof's proposal:

...Hulshof would replace lawyers on the Appellate Judicial Commission with retired judges, replace the Chief Justice with a retired Supreme Court Judge and give the governor veto power over the panel submitted by the commission.

Hulshof says there's a disorder in the state court system, a statement flatly rejected by Missouri Bar President Tom Burke. Burke says the state has an excellent judiciary system and the Missouri Plan works.

The Missouri Bar and Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys disagrees with the proposal. They say the current plan is sound.

Coming up on Friday, the Law in Your Life finds out more about why The Missouri Bar opposes Hulshof's changes to the plan and why the plan is still the solid choice for Missourians 70 years after it was first approved by voters.