Appellate judge goes to state's highest court

With the appointment of Judge Richard B. Teitelman to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Supreme Court, Gov. Bob Holden has chosen someone with judicial experience who promises to be a credit to the state's highest court.

Teitelman, who currently serves on the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District thanks to his 1997 appointment by Gov. Mel Carnahan, has been tapped to replace Judge John Holstein on the Supreme Court.

Holstein is retiring this week. He was appointed by Gov. John Ashcroft in 1989.

With Teitelman's appointment, the Supreme Court now has a 4-3 majority of Democratic appointees. But this split isn't the only political component of the latest high-court appointment.

A seven-member Appellate Judicial Commission forwarded three names to Holden for appointment. The others were Judge Michael Manners of the Jackson County Circuit Court and Clifton Smart of the Strong Law Firm in Springfield, Mo.

The Strong firm was one of those picked by Attorney General Jay Nixon to represent the state in its tobacco lawsuit. Had Holden picked Strong for the Supreme Court, it would no doubt have set off a storm of criticism even though the Appellate Judicial Commission apparently felt he was qualified for the post.