State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Russell said the state of Missouri’s judiciary is strong. During her annual State of the Judiciary Address today to the Missouri Legislature, Russell said she is visiting all 46 judicial circuits over her two-year term.
“The hard work is performed in your local courthouses by nearly 3,600 clerks, bailiffs, court reporters, jury supervisors, juvenile office staff and others, plus more than 400 judges and commissioners. Thanks to them, we are problem solvers as we decide hundreds of thousands of legal disputes each year,” said Russell.
According to Russell, people with mental health and substance abuse disorders are increasingly impacting the state’s courts. Russell said she wants lawmakers to add mental health courts to the list of approved treatment courts.
“Our jails have become the largest mental health facilities in our counties,” she said. “But that’s not how jails are designed nor how their staff are trained. Jails should be used in the short term to detain people accused of crimes are found guilty of minor crimes. Concrete cellblocks are not conducive for treating mental health or addiction issues.”
Russell said the longer inmates with mental health problems remain in jail without treatment or without being tried for a crime, let alone convicted, the worse they get.
Russell said Missouri lacks beds for juvenile offenders who need to be detained, especially in rural parts of the state. She said during her visits around the state, she has heard a need for increased mental health and security services in juvenile detention centers.
“Older, more streetwise youth are now being housed with younger juveniles, who I fear may not be learning good things from their older peers. In addition, more youth are being certified to stand trial as adults and this is due to the seriousness of their alleged offenses,” she said.
Missouri’s pay for people who serve on jury duty has not been updated since 1989.
Russell also wants state lawmakers to pass a bill that would increase the minimum amounts of $6 per day and 7 cents per mile.
“The right to a jury of your peers has always been a part of our nation’s fundamental values, but many of our courts struggle to have enough jurors to comply with jury service. Our citizens must take time off work and make other arrangements to care for their families,” said Russell.
Since recreational marijuana became legal in Missouri, the state’s courts have reviewed more than 245,000 requests to clear low-level marijuana criminal records. Russell said they are making significant strides.
“They have expunged nearly 109,000,” she said. “Plus, they’ve done all this while still processing all of your constituents’ other cases.”
She touted the state’s drug treatment courts, which have had thousands of graduates over three decades.
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