Originally published in 2006.
By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The Missouri Bar has released its evaluation of judges who will be up for retention in November. It's something the bar does every election by asking lawyers who are in the judge's courtrooms for their opinions.
This year, jurors in St. Louis County also weighed in on whether the judge they served should keep their seats.
Three state Supreme Court justices - Stephen Limbaugh, William Ray Clark, and Mary Rhodes Russell - are up for retention this year and all got high marks.
But 73% of the lawyers surveyed said St. Louis County Associate Circuit Judge Judy Draper should not be retained. And only 50% of lawyers said St. Louis County Associate Circuit Judge Brenda Stith Loftin should be retained. With Loftin, though, 96% of jurors surveyed said she should be retained.
| Election 2006 - Judicial Retention Missouri Bar survey | ||
| State Supreme Court | ||
| Justice | Yes, retain (%) | No, don't retain (%) |
| Stephen Limbaugh | 1104 (89.8%) | 126 (10.2%) |
| William Ray Price | 1,035 (93.2%) | 75 (6.8%) |
| Mary Rhodes Russell | 1,010 (90.8%) | 102 (9.2%) |
| Eastern District of Missouri | ||
| Judge | Yes, retain (%) | No, don't retain (%) |
| Nannette Baker | 350 (73.1%) | 129 (26.9%) |
| Kenneth Romines | 565 (84.6%) | 103 (15.4%) |
| 22nd Judicial Circuit (St. Louis City) | ||
| Circuit Judge | Yes, retain (%) | No, don't retain (%) |
| Michael David | 297 (95%) | 16 (5%) |
| Robert Dierker | 311 (90%) | 34 (10%) |
| Jimmie Edwards | 215 (83%) | 43 (17%) |
| John Garvey | 226 (89%) | 29 (11%) |
| Donald McCullin | 142 (87%) | 22 (13%) |
| Joan Moriarty | 153 (69%) | 69 (31%) |
| Margaret Neill | 284 (81%) | 65 (19% |
| Edward Sweeney | 210 (89%) | 27 (11%) |
| 22nd Judicial Circuit (St. Louis City) | ||
| Associate Circuit Judge | Yes, retain (%) | No, don't retain (%) |
| Paula Perkins Bryant | 100 (74%) | 35 (26%) |
| Elizabeth Byrne Hogan | 143 (87%) | 22 (13%) |
| Michael Mullen | 238 (93%) | 19 (7%) |
| Barbara Peebles | 109 (67%) | 53 (33%) |
| Michael Stelzer | 184 (90%) | 20 (10%) |
| 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County) | ||
| Circuit Judge | Yes, retain (%) | No, don't retain (%) |
| Richard Bresnahan | 309 (95%) | 15 (5%) |
| Michael Burton | 406 (97%) | 13 (3%) |
| Colleen Dolan | 316 (89%) | 40 (11%) |
| Michael Jamison | 247 (81%) | 59 (19%) |
| John Kintz | 334 (93%) | 24 (7%) |
| David Vincent | 294 (89%) | 38 (11%) |
| 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County) | ||
| Associate Circuit Judge | Yes, retain (%) | No, don't retain (%) |
| Patrick Clifford | 194 (58%) | 138 (42%) |
| Barbara Ann Crancer | 303 (81%) | 70 (19%) |
| Judy Draper | 83 (28%) | 219 (73%) |
| Brenda Stith Loftin | 158 (49.7%) | 160 (50.3% |
| Dennis Smith | 247 (77%) | 74 (23%) |