Better Courts for Missouri is a coalition of Missourians from all walks of life, dedicated to fixing the method by which Missouri judges are selected. We recognize that the judges on our highest courts make decisions that affect every Missourian in a profound and intimate way. Everything from jobs and wages to health care and family values are affected by the powerful judges on those courts. That is why we are dedicated to ensuring that the following core values are represented in the Missouri Court Plan for selecting judges.

Openness...

Every Missourian is harmed when government does its business behind closed doors. Unfortunately, the judges that decide our most important cases are currently selected by a Commission that conducts every aspect of its business in absolute secrecy, allowing special interest groups and corruption to take hold. We believe the same open records laws that apply to the rest of government should apply to the Commission that selects judges.

Accountability...

The very fabric upon which American life has been erected is that governments exist solely for and by the consent of the governed. Unfortunately, the majority of the members of the Commission that selects judges to our highest courts are not accountable to Missourians for their decisions. We believe this must be changed, and that those who pick our judges should be accountable to Missourians for the judges they pick. As our founders recognized, when those who make the most important decisions affecting our lives are not accountable, they begin making decisions based on politics and financial gain.

Independence...

An independent judiciary is indispensable to the fair administration of justice. As former Missouri Supreme Court Judge Warren Welliver put it, "Reduced to the plainest terms, judges have no right to pick their successors or colleagues and lawyers have no right to pick their judges." Unfortunately, that is exactly how the current process for selecting judges works. We believe it is time to restore independence to the judicial branch in Missouri.

Excellence...

Because the decisions of our highest courts profoundly and intimately affect every Missourian, it is imperative that only the most highly qualified judges sit on those courts. Unfortunately, the lack of openness and accountability in the current judicial selection process has made it possible for candidates with virtually no experience, poor academic records, and nothing but political connections, to be nominated to our highest courts. This must stop!