Title XXXII — COURTS

476.001. Purpose of law. — An efficient, well operating and productive judiciary is essential to the preservation of the people's liberty and prosperity. In order to achieve this goal, the general assembly and the supreme court must constantly be aware of the operations, needs, s…

476.010. Courts of record. — The supreme court of the state of Missouri, the court of appeals, and the circuit courts shall be courts of record, and shall keep just and faithful records of their proceedings. Notwithstanding the foregoing, municipal divisions of the circuit courts…

476.015. Short title. — House Bill 1634 of the 2nd regular session of the 79th general assembly shall be known and may be cited as the "Court Reform and Revision Act of 1978". ­­-------- (L. 1978 H.B. 1634 § 1) Effective 1-02-79

476.020. Courts to keep a seal. — Each court of record in this state shall procure and keep a seal, with such emblems and devices as the court may think proper, and the impression thereof by stamp shall be deemed a sufficient sealing. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 1991) Prior revisions…

476.030. Private seal used, when. — When no seal is provided, the clerk may use his private seal for the authentication of any record, process or proceeding required by law to be authenticated by the seal of the court; and the attestation of the clerk, stating that he has no seal…

476.050. Records to be kept in English language. — All writs, process, proceedings and records in any court, and in all inferior tribunals established by law, shall be in the English language, except that the proper and known names of process and technical words may be expressed …

476.055. Statewide court automation fund created, administration, committee, members — powers, duties, limitation — unauthorized release of information, penalty — report. — 1. There is hereby established in the state treasury the "Statewide Court Automation Fund". All moneys coll…

476.056. Municipal court automation, duties of municipality. — 1. Any city, county, village or other municipality may provide for automation of its municipal court pursuant to subsection 3 of section 476.055, in the manner provided in this section. In order to make such provision…

476.057. Judicial personnel training fund, judicial personnel defined. — 1. The state courts administrator shall determine the amount of the projected total collections of fees pursuant to section 488.015, payable to the state pursuant to section 488.023*, or subdivision (4) of s…

476.058. Court personnel defined — state court administration revolving fund created. — 1. As used in this section, the term "court personnel" includes all personnel of all state courts and all divisions of the courts, including juvenile, family and municipal divisions, and clerk…

476.060. Interpreters appointed, when. — The courts may, from time to time, appoint interpreters and translators to interpret the testimony of witnesses, and to translate any writing necessary to be translated in such court, or any cause therein. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 2010) Pri…

476.062. Court marshals' arrest powers — may carry firearms, when. — Subject to supreme court rule, district court of appeal rule and local circuit court rule, marshals of any court may carry firearms when necessary for the proper discharge of their duties. Such marshals shall ha…

476.070. Power of courts to issue writs. — All courts shall have power to issue all writs which may be necessary in the exercise of their respective jurisdictions, according to the principles and usages of law. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 2008) Prior revisions: 1929 § 1844; 1919 § 23…

476.080. Court or clerk may appoint person to execute process, when. — Where there is no sheriff or other ministerial officer qualified to act, or where they are interested or prejudiced, the court, or clerk thereof in vacation, may appoint one or more persons to execute its proc…

476.083. Circuit court marshal may be appointed in certain circuits, powers and duties, salary, qualifications. — 1. In addition to any appointments made pursuant to section 485.010, the presiding judge of each circuit containing one or more facilities operated by the department …

476.090. Courts may enforce return of process. — Each court may enforce, by attachment, the return of any writ or process sent out of the same court, and the payment of any moneys had and received by any sheriff, marshal, coroner, constable, attorney or collector, in his official…

476.100. No process abated by failure of court to sit. — No writ, process or proceedings whatsoever, civil or criminal, shall be deemed discontinued or abated by reason of the failure of any term or session of any court, nor by reason of any adjournment in the cases mentioned in …

476.1000. Mandatory electronic filing jurisdictions, notice of entry of appearance to be accepted, when — expiration date. — All courts that require mandatory electronic filing shall accept, file, and docket a notice of entry of appearance filed by an attorney in a criminal case …

476.1025. Misdemeanor convictions, deceased persons — confidentiality of records granted, when. — A parent, spouse, child, or personal representative of a person who was convicted of a misdemeanor offense may file a motion with the court in which the person was convicted to have …

476.110. Acts constituting contempt of court. — Every court of record shall have power to punish as for criminal contempt persons guilty of: (1) Disorderly, contemptuous or insolent behavior committed during its session, in its immediate view and presence, and directly tending to…

476.120. Punishment for contempt. — Punishment for contempt may be by fine or imprisonment in the jail of the county where the court may be sitting, or both, in the discretion of the court. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 2029) Prior revisions: 1929 § 1865; 1919 § 2360; 1909 § 3882 (1976…

476.130. May be punished summarily, when. — Contempt committed in the immediate view and presence of the court may be punished summarily; in other cases the party charged shall be notified of the accusation, and have a reasonable time to make his defense. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § …

476.1300. Citation of law — definitions. — 1. Sections 476.1300 to 476.1313 shall be known and may be cited as the "Judicial Privacy Act". 2. As used in sections 476.1300 to 476.1313, the following terms mean: (1) "Court-related officer", an actively employed, a formerly employed…

476.1302. Disclosure by state agency of court-related officer's personal information prohibited, when — exception. — 1. A government agency shall not publicly post or display publicly available content that includes a court-related officer's personal information, provided that th…

476.1304. Disclosure by any person, business, or association of a court-related officer's personal information prohibited, when — sale of information prohibited, when. — 1. No person, business, or association shall publicly post or display on the internet publicly available conte…

476.1306. Removal of information upon written privacy request, requirements. — 1. After a person, business, or association has received a written request to protect the privacy of the court-related officer's personal information, that person, business, or association shall have f…

476.1308. Violation, injunctive or declaratory relief. — A court-related officer whose personal information is made public as a result of a violation of sections 476.1304 to 476.1306 may bring an action seeking injunctive or declaratory relief in any court of competent jurisdicti…

476.1310. Written requests for the protection of court-related officer's personal information, requirements — list of requests, maintained and distributed — inapplicability, when. — 1. No government agency, person, business, or association shall be found to have violated any prov…

476.1313. Recorder of deeds, duties — compliance and requirements. — 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a recorder of deeds shall meet the requirements of the provisions of sections 476.1300 to 476.1310 by complying with this section. 2. As used in thi…

476.140. Commitment for contempt to set forth particulars. — Whenever any person shall be committed for any contempt specified in sections 476.010 to 476.310, the particular circumstances of his offense shall be set forth in the order or warrant of commitment. ­­-------- (RSMo 19…

476.150. Contempt not to be used to enforce civil rights. — Nothing contained in sections 476.110 to 476.140 shall be construed to extend to any proceeding against parties or officers, as for contempt, for the purpose of enforcing any civil right or remedy. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 …

476.160. Parties may be indicted, when. — Persons punished for contempt under the provisions of sections 476.010 to 476.310 shall, notwithstanding, be liable to indictment for such contempt, if the same be an indictable offense; but the court before which a conviction shall be ha…

476.170. Sittings to be public. — The sitting of every court shall be public and every person may freely attend the same. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 2007) Prior revisions: 1929 § 1843; 1919 § 2340; 1909 § 3862

476.180. Judge interested, not to sit. — No judge of any court of record, who is interested in any suit or related to either party, or who shall have been of counsel in any suit or proceeding pending before him, shall, without the express consent of the parties thereto, sit on th…

476.220. Judge may call special term for disposition of cause pending. — Whenever in his opinion the public good requires, or whenever it is necessary for the dispatch of business, any circuit judge may, by written order filed with the clerk, call a special term of court for the …

476.240. May try civil cases at such special terms. — At every such special term the court may, with the consent of parties, exercise its ordinary jurisdiction in civil cases. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 2020) Prior revisions: 1929 § 1856; 1919 § 2352; 1909 § 3874

476.250. No court to sit on Sunday. — No court shall be open or transact business on Sunday, unless it be for the purpose of receiving a verdict or discharging a jury; and every adjournment of a court on Saturday shall always be to some other day than Sunday, except such adjournm…

476.260. Court to audit accounts. — The court shall audit and adjust the accounts of the sheriff or other officer attending it, and certify the same for payment. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 2035, A. 1949 S.B. 1138) Prior revisions: 1929 § 1871; 1919 § 2366; 1909 § 3888

476.265. Judicial department, budget, procedure for formulation. — 1. The budget for the funding of the judicial department by the state for each fiscal year shall be formulated in the same manner as provided in subdivision (4) of subsection 6 of section 1 of the Omnibus State Re…

476.270. Expenditures of court to be paid out of county treasury — exceptions. — All expenditures accruing in the circuit courts, except salaries and clerk hire which is payable by the state, except all expenditures accruing in the municipal divisions of the circuit court, and ex…

476.280. Oath of judges. — Each judge shall, within thirty days after the receipt of his commission, and before entering upon the duties of his office, take the oath prescribed by the constitution of this state. A certificate of having taken such oath shall be endorsed upon his c…

476.290. Judges not to practice law — exception, municipal judges. — No judge, except a part-time municipal judge, shall practice or act as counselor or attorney in any court within this state nor shall any clerk or deputy clerk, while he continues to act as such, plead, practice…

476.310. No judge or clerk to have partner — exception. — No judge, clerk or deputy clerk of any court shall have any partner practicing in the court in which he is a judge, clerk or deputy clerk, except that the partner of a municipal judge who is not a full-time judge may pract…

476.320. Judicial conference of the state of Missouri established, members. — There is hereby established "The Judicial Conference of the State of Missouri". The conference shall consist of the judges of the supreme court and of the court of appeals, the circuit judges, associate…

476.330. Conference shall meet, when. — The conference shall meet on the call of the chief justice. A meeting shall be called at least once every odd-numbered year at some convenient time and place in the state. It shall be the duty of all members of the conference to attend such…

476.340. Executive council shall be governing body, how formed — members. — 1. The governing body of the conference, between sessions, shall be the executive council. The executive council shall consist of the following members: (1) The chief justice of the supreme court, or some…

476.350. Duties of judicial conference, executive council and circuit judges. — 1. It shall be the duty of said judicial conference and its executive council to study the organization, rules, methods of procedure, and practice of the judicial system of this state, the work accomp…

476.360. Clerks of various courts shall make reports to executive council. — The clerks of the various courts of the state named in section 476.320, shall make such reports to the executive council as the conference or the executive council may require. ­­-------- (L. 1943 p. 514…

476.370. Conference or council empowered to hold hearings. — The conference or the executive council is empowered in its discretion to hold before the full conference, or its executive council, or any committee thereof it may constitute for such purpose, hearings on any question …

476.380. Expense allowance for conference attendance. — Each judge attending the annual meeting of the conference, and each member of the executive council attending meetings of the council not to exceed four times each year, shall receive his actual and necessary expenses, to be…