2026 judicial performance reviews now available online

This information is provided by the Missouri Judicial Performance Review Committee as part of its charge per Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 10.55 to release information to the public about the judicial performance review process and the vote of the committee.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Judicial Performance Review Committee released its performance findings today for the 50 nonpartisan judges who will be up for retention in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. All Missouri voters will have at least two appellate judges appear in retention elections on their ballot this November.

"The Judicial Performance Review is a key component of Missouri's Non-Partisan Court Plan as it provides information to voters," Debbie Dodge, committee chair, said. "Ultimately, voters have the final say in Missouri’s Non-Partisan Court Plan through judicial retention elections."

The committee reviewed the performance of 50 judges, including one Supreme Court of Missouri judge, five Court of Appeals judges, 28 circuit court judges, and 16 associate circuit court judges in circuits where the judges are appointed under Missouri's Non-Partisan Court Plan, also known as The Missouri Plan. The committee recommends all judges be retained.

"These reviews help make sure that the votes cast in the November elections are based on objective information about the performance of individual judges," Dodge said. "We urge Missouri voters to use this information to make sure we have judges who are fair, impartial, and skilled."

The complete performance review information of each judge is available at YourMissouriJudges.org. For quick reference, landing pages for voters by circuit are provided:

To schedule an interview with Debbie Dodge, Judicial Performance Review Committee chair, contact Communications Director Hannah Kiddoo Frevert at hkiddoo@mobar.org.

About the reviews

The committee considers a variety of information about each judge, including lawyers’ ratings of the judges, jurors’ ratings of some trial judges, and written opinions from judges. Access these items at YourMissouriJudges.org.

The lawyers’ survey focused on key traits that judges need to render justice effectively and fairly. Jurors were asked a series of questions about the judge’s courtroom conduct.

Circuit and associate circuit judges were rated in areas including a wide range of observable skills and traits, such as treating people fairly, competency in the law, and writing clear opinions. Supreme Court of Missouri and Missouri Court of Appeals judges were rated on a different set of criteria as they decide cases that are appealed because of possible legal errors, either procedural or through misinterpretations of the law. These judges were rated on areas such as whether their opinions were clearly written, whether they adequately explained the basis of the court’s decision, and whether they issued opinions in a timely manner.

All identifiable information was removed from the survey results and the judges’ written opinions to ensure the committee did not know the identity of each judge they reviewed.

About Missouri's Non-Partisan Court Plan

Missouri has used a constitutional merit system known as Missouri's Non-Partisan Court Plan for its judicial selection since 1940. The plan has since been adopted by other states across the country.

Under the plan, all judges are accountable to the voters, although their initial selection process may vary. Appellate judges and trial-level judges in the City of St. Louis and Clay, Greene, Jackson, Platte, and St. Louis counties are first appointed to the judicial seat and then stand for retention before the voters after their first 12 months on the bench and the end of each term. In other parts of the state, trial-level judges seek election in partisan races.

Before becoming a judge, all nonpartisan judges are screened by a nominating commission whose members include lawyers, non-lawyers, and a judge. The commission selects the three most-qualified candidates and forwards their names to the governor, who chooses one candidate to fill the position.

After their first year on the bench and again at the end of each term, nonpartisan judges must run in retention elections. In retention elections, the ballot reads: “Shall Judge X be retained?” To be retained, each merit-selected judge must receive a simple majority.

The Missouri Bar is tasked with sharing the independent committee’s findings with the public. The Missouri Bar funds the review process, which was created by a Supreme Court of Missouri rule in 2008.

For more information, visit YourMissouriJudges.org.