“Justice shall be administered without sale, denial, or delay” –Article I, Section 14, Missouri Constitution Better Courts for Missouri’s Executive Director, James Harris, has extended an invitation to Chief Justice Laura Denvir Stith proposing to take her on a listening tour throughout Missouri in order to listen to the citizens input on how best to […]

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“Chief Justice Stith’s naivety continues to blind her ability to improve the judiciary” –James Harris, Executive Director, Better Court for Missouri Yesterday, Better Courts for Missouri Coalition (BCM) applauded Chief Justice Stith’s remarks in her State of the Judiciary Address that called for an unbiased judiciary and an enhancement of the public trust in the […]

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SMI Press Release: SAINT LOUIS — Judicial selection is a hot political issue in Missouri. Groups and individuals throughout the state have taken sides in efforts to either alter or preserve the methods by which judges are chosen in their particular jurisdictions. The Show-Me Institute has become aware that some political activists have linked its […]

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UNION ACTIVIST FILES FRIVILOUS COMPLAINT Greene Countians Against Question 1 responded to the frivilous ethics complaint filed with the Missouri’s Ethics Commission by an out-of-town left-wing union activist by the name of Eric Moore. Mr. Moore’s frivilous complaint claims that the coalition’s Treasurer, Larry Russell, did not file his organization’s paperwork on time. It is […]

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Today the American Bar Association released a Harris Poll confirming what we already knew:  The American public strongly favors the direct election of state court judges. In this poll, only 19% favored the selection of judges by a system like the Missouri Plan. Further, assuming the existence of screening commissions at the federal level, only […]

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By James Byrne (excerpt) In 1976, by special election, the Governor’s ability to reject the nominees presented by the Selection Committee was removed. This was not something that many people knew about. The only place the full extent of the changes that would occur should the voters adopt Constitutional Amendment #6 were printed, was in […]

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“No one is surprised by this outcome, the whole process was designed to result in his appointment.” – James Harris, Executive Director, Better Courts for Missouri Yesterday, Governor Matt Blunt appointed Judge Zel Fischer to the Missouri Supreme Court, replacing Judge Stephen Limbaugh. Once again, we are reminded of how flawed the Missouri Plan really […]

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“Now is the time for openness and accountability, not more deals for lawyers and special interests” Better Courts for Missouri launched a radio ad urging Missourians to stand up to the special interest groups and personal injury lawyers who dominate the current Missouri Plan. The Missouri Bar and its political allies in the Missouri Association […]

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Better Courts for Missouri, along with other concerned citizens of Missouri, wrote to Governor Matt Blunt requesting he reject the three judicial nominees to the state’s Supreme Court submitted to him last month by the Appellate Judicial Commission. In their request they stated, “Missourians expect judges of the highest qualifications who will practice restraint and […]

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The Missouri Bar’s evaluations of judges up for retention election do not accomplish their stated purpose, which is to explain to Missourians why each “merit-selected” judge should be retained or should not be retained. Rather than providing detailed analysis of judges’ performance, the judges are graded on ambiguous five point scales in nine very broad […]

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