A state intermediate appellate court / Established 1884

Missouri Court of Appeals

Jefferson City · An intermediate appellate court in Missouri.

The Missouri Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court in Missouri, the tier between the state's trial courts and the Supreme Court of Missouri. Its judges are chosen by gubernatorial appointment from a nominating commission, followed by retention elections, the same method Missouri uses for its court of last resort. This page lists every judge to serve on the court, current and former.

Judges in history

Currently serving

Merit selection

Selection

12-yr

Term

Current judges

Judge	Since
Harold Lowenstein	1981
Robert Dierker Jr.	1986
Clifford H. Ahrens	1991
Joseph M. Ellis	1993
Robert G. Dowd	1994
Mary Kathryn Hoff	1995
Victor C. Howard	1996
Lawrence E. Mooney	1998
Thomas H. Newton	1999
Lisa White Hardwick	2001
Nancy Rahmeyer	2001
Jeffrey W. Bates	2003
Patricia L. Cohen	2003
Gary Lynch	2006
Roy L. Richter	2006
Daniel E. Scott	2006
Alok Ahuja	2007
Kurt S. Odenwald	2007
Don E. Burkell	2008
Don E. Burrell	2008
Zel Fischer	2008
Gary M. Gaertner Jr.	2009
Cynthia L. Martin	2009
Karen King Mitchell	2009
Mark D. Pfeiffer	2009
William W. Francis Jr.	2010
James Edward Welsh	2010
Gary D. Witt	2010
Robert M. Clayton III	2011
George W. Draper III	2011
Lisa Van Amburg	2012
Michael Hendrickson	2012
Elizabeth Hogan	2012
Angela Turner Quigless	2012
Mary W. Sheffield	2012

Former judges

Judge	Years
Paul McGhee	2006–2010
Mark E. Orr	2006–2014
Nannette Baker	2005–2007
Sherri Sullivan	1999–2012
Richard B. Teitelman	1998–2002
Robert Ulrich	1998–2010
Kent E. Karohl	1997–2000
Gerald Smith	1996–1997
Paul Spinden	1996–2008
Robert Barney	1995–2012
Mary Russell	1995–2004
Edwin H. Smith	1995–2007
Laura D. Stith	1994–2001
Phillip Garrison	1992–1999
James Smart	1991–2013
Patricia Breckenridge	1990–2007
John Parrish	1990–2009
James Eiffert	1989–1997
Gary Fenner	1988–1994
John Maughmer	1988–2005
Stanley Grimm	1987–1998
William Crandall	1986–2004
Robert Crist	1986–2001
John Crow	1985–2000
William Mauer	1984–1985
Floyd McBride	1984–1986
George Flanigan	1983–1996
Donald Barnes	1980–1986
Richard Webber	1979–1996
Brendan Ryan	1978–1999
George W. Cloyd	1977–1977
George Henry	1977–1986
Donald Mason	1977–1980
James Moore	1976–1982
Dorman Steelman	1976–1994
Houser Norwin	1975–1986
Robert Welborn	1975–1984
William Ragland	1974–1979
James Reinhard	1974–1997
Joseph G. Stewart	1974–1985
Paul Carver	1973–1974
Donald Dalton	1973–1985
William Peters	1972–1973
Joseph J. Simeone	1971–1977
Robert J. Russell	1970–1986
Laurence R. Smith	1970–1984
Charles V. Barker	1966–1989
Sam Blair	1965–1970
Samuel A. Dew	1963–1965
Alvin C. Randall	1963–1993
Fred Maughmer	1955–1956
Nick Cave	1940–1960
Floyd L. Sperry Sr.	1936–1970
James Ellison	1884–1888

How a judge reaches this court. Judges of the Missouri Court of Appeals are appointed by the governor to 12-year terms and then face yes-or-no retention elections. Selection methods vary by jurisdiction and have changed over time; this page reflects the court’s current method (source: National Center for State Courts). Open any judge to see their tenure and whom they succeeded.

Source: CourtListener / Free Law Project (bulk data); selection method from the National Center for State Courts. Data last verified 2026-06-30. Verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).