LETTERS: SUPREME COURT UNFAIRLY ATTACKED

To the editor:

In Tuesday's editorial, the Southeast Missourian questioned the Missouri Supreme Court's "cozy relationship" with personal-injury trial lawyers. To ensure that your readers did not draw an erroneous conclusion from your comments, perhaps a profile of the entire Supreme Court would be helpful.

All but one of the current judges were appointed to the Supreme Court by former Gov. John Ashcroft. He appointed Judge Chip Robertson, a former assistant attorney general and later Ashcroft's chief of staff, to the court in 1985. Judge John Holstein, appointed to the Supreme Court in 1987, previously had a general law practice in West Plains and later served as a magistrate judge, circuit court judge and Southern District appellate judge.

Judge Ann Covington, also a former assistant attorney general, practiced law in Columbia before being appointed in 1988. Her practice primarily was in the field of domestic relations. Chief Justice Duane Benton was raised in Southeast Missouri and was director of revenue during the Ashcroft administration prior to his appointment to the court in 1991.

Judge Ray Price practiced law in Kansas City with a large law firm, chairing its business litigation section. He was appointed to the court in 1992. Finally, Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr., born and raised in Cape Girardeau, was our prosecuting attorney and circuit court judge before his appointment in 1992.

The only member of the Supreme Court not appointed by former Governor Ashcroft is Judge Ronnie White. Prior to his appointment in 1995, Judge White was St. Louis city counselor and was a member of the court on which I sit.

An impartial look at the makeup of the Missouri Supreme Court reveals that none of its judges, prior to their appointments, were part of the "personal-injury trial bar crowd" criticized in your editorial. To suggest that trial lawyers, or any group, yield such influence with the Supreme Court is untrue and an unfair attack on the integrity of the court.

Moreover, my personal experience as an appellate judge during the last 11 years is that judges discuss cases with their immediate office staffs and other judges. Judges do not discuss the merits of the cases with the clerk of the court.

JUDGE STANLEY A. GRIMM

Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern Division

Cape Girardeau