Former Missouri chief justice Blackmar dies

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Charles Blackmar, a former chief justice who spent nearly 10 years on the Missouri Supreme Court, has died. Blackmar died Friday night in Clearwater, Fla., of congestive heart failure, the state Supreme Court said Monday. He was 84.

A Kansas City native, Blackmar took office as a Supreme Court judge in December 1982 and served as chief justice from July 1989 until July 1991. He retired from the Supreme Court in April 1992, just ahead of his 70th birthday, when the state constitution requires judges to step down.

But he continued serving as a senior judge, hearing about 50 cases from fall 2004 through last November, and at least one case still had not been decided.

"We have lost a great judge, scholar, teacher and an enjoyable friend," Chief Justice Michael Wolff said in a written statement.

Among the final cases he considered, Blackmar sat in on the October hearing over a law that required voters to show a photo identification card at the polls. While questioning attorneys, Blackmar said he no longer drives and so he didn't renew his license, and thus would not be able to vote under the law.

"This wouldn't qualify as a proper photo ID," he said, waving his old license to the courtroom.

The Supreme Court later tossed out the law as unconstitutional.

Blackmar practiced law from 1948-1977 in Kansas City at what is now the Swanson Midgley firm, and also taught law at both the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Saint Louis University.

He served four years in the Army and earned the Silver Star, Purple Heart and other awards for his efforts in Europe during World War II.

The funeral service for Blackmar will be Friday at Country Club Christian Church in Kansas City, with a private burial at Mount Washington Cemetery.