On Thursday, October 24th, The Vic Porcelli Show talked about all the judges on the November 2024 ballot with Teresa Douglas, President of the South County Republican Club. Teresa is also a Lemay Republican Committeewoman and Secretary of the Republican Central Committee of St Louis County.
Listen to Teresa’s interview, check out her list, and see if you agree.
A LETTER FROM TERESA DOUGLAS EXPLAINING THE CHOICES
Dear Republican,
This year, we have 24 judges to choose to retain on the November 5th ballot.
The Missouri Plan for retaining judges is supposed to be non-partisan. As a result, it is very
difficult to determine if you support the way a judge rules in court. Do they adhere to the law? Or
do they have woke leanings? Since the Missouri Plan was enacted in 1940, only 2 judges have
not been retained!
The Governor can only appoint one of three judges that have been put forward by a Nominating
Committee for each judicial position. The Nominating Committee consists of 3 citizens appointed
by the Governor, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, and 3 lawyers elected by the Bar Members.
As expected, the Judicial Performance Review Committee found that all 74 judges standing for
retention substantially met the performance review standards. Reviews of individual judges can
be found online. This represents the results you get when a profession polices itself.
Often people do not vote for judges, because they can’t get any information. Sometimes they will
just vote “NO” or “YES” on all of them. I believe we need to keep our good judges and get rid of
the bad ones.
Many people tell me they vote for the judges appointed by Republican Governors and against
judges appointed by Democrat Governors. While this strategy works in many cases, it doesn’t
account for the many times only far left candidates are nominated by the Commission. That leaves
the Governor without options to appoint a Republican or Conservative to the court.
I looked up information presented at https://yourmissourijudges.org/ and
https://stlcountycourts.com/our-judges/ to get basic information on each judge. Then I dug deeper
into their background and organizations they participate in. I made voting recommendations based
on the information I was able to obtain. I included the basic reasons for each recommendation
below:
MISSOURI SUPREME COURT JUDGES FOR RETENTION
YES -Judge Kelly C. Broniec
Appointed By: Governor Mike Parson (2020)
Republican. Former President of MO Assn of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges. Dissented
against keeping Amendment 3 (abortion bill) on the ballot.
YES – Judge Ginger K Gooch
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2023)
Republican, Dissented against keeping Amendment 3 (abortion bill) on the ballot, Former: Council
for Christian Colleges & Universities. From Springfield, MO,
MISSOURI APPELLATE COURT JUDGES FOR RETENTION
MISSOURI COURT OF APPEALS EASTERN DISTRICT
NO – Judge Robert M Clayton
Appointed by: Governor Jay Nixon (2011)
(Democrat, served one year as Chief Judge in 2013-2014, former House of Representatives 1994-
2002, from Hannibal, MO; He is married with two “opinionated” daughters.)
YES? – Judge Gary M Gaertner
Appointed by: Governor Jay Nixon (2009)
Very little information was available. It appears his rulings are impartial. He may be politically non-
biased. His father was a Chief Judge on the MO Supreme Court and was appointed by both
Ashcroft-R and Gebhardt-D. The Clayton Republican Committeeman and former Missouri River
Committeewoman have personally vouched for his character. They did not know how he rules
from the bench.
Yes – Judge Renee Hardin-Tammons
Appointed by: Governor Eric Greitans (2017)
She is a member of Women’s Lawyer Association. Supreme Court Disciplinary Committee, past
member and chair. She is also a small business owner.
YES – Judge Christian M Stevens
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2022)
Republican; From Kirkwood, MO; Former First Assistant Attorney General, That means he served
under ether Eric Schmitt or Andrew Bailey
YES – Judge Michael S. Wright
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2023)
Republican; from Warren County, attends Warren County Republicans meetings, Advocate of
Veterans.
21ST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT – CIRCUIT JUDGE
NO – Judge Brian May
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 1
Appointed by: Governor Jay Nixon
Democrat – MO House Rep Dist 108 1993-2001; He lives in Eureka.
YES – Judge Heather R. Cunningham
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 3
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2022)
Holds a Bachelor of Science in political science. Previously, a Family Court Commissioner in the
Juvenile Division. Active in church and community. Lives in Ballwin.
NO – Judge Jeffrey Medler
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 4
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2020)
Founding partner of his law firm focusing on domestic, criminal, civil litigation, and estate planning.
Often appointed as Guardian ad litum in domestic/family law matters. Sat on bench during the
family court Tolu corruption case recusal*.
NO – Judge Nichole Zellweger
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 5
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2023)
Her former law practice focused on business litigation. Received the MO Bar Association 2024
Pesident’s Award for her work to design and launch The Missouri Bar’s Diversity Judicial Internship
Program last year.
NO – Judge David Lee Vincent
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 9
Appointed by: Governor Mel Carnahan (1997)
Democrat – Graduated from University of WI-Madison; Coached at Pattonville and Marquette HS
to State Championships. Involved with public school programs. Erroneously ruled unaccredited
school districts should not have to pay for transportation and tuition for transfer students.
NO- Judge Stanley Wallach
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 12
Appointed by: Governor Jay Nixon (2016)
He serves on the court’s committees on rules, diversity and inclusion, and community. He is also
the judicial liaison for the court’s Public Speaker’s Bureau. Former city attorney and prosecuting
attorney in the City of Fenton.
YES – Judge Bruce F. Hilton
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 13
Appointed by: Governor Eric Greitans (2017)
He was the judge that oversaw the case involving Marcellus Williams and refused to overturn his
guilty conviction for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle. Wesley Bell made the appeal to free him.
Both Andrew Bailey and Governor Parson stood by the conviction, as well as the Supreme Court.
Williams was recently executed. This judge stood firm under great pressure.
YES – Judge John (JB) Lasater
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 15
Appointed By: Governor Mike Parson (2013)
Assistant prosecuting attorney for St Louis County – 1993-2017; The Missouri Bar Board of
Governors – 2010-present; Nonpartisan. (He sat on the bench during the Tolu corruption case
recusal, however not involved with family court*), He filled the position after the resignation of Bill
Corrigan.
NO – Judge Virginia W. Lay
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 16
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2021)
(Previously chaired the Governance Committee of Unleashing Potential (community organization
dedicated to social justice and creating strong communities of inclusiveness, equity, and “fairness”;
member of Women Lawyers” Association of Greater St Louis)
NO – Judge Ellen H. Ribaudo
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 18
Appointed by: Governor Jay Nixon (2015)
She is a member of numerous Agenda 2030 organizations including: People with Purpose – goal
is use leaders to create profit for organizations and environment; Theodore McMillan Inn of Court –
legal organization dedicated to diversity.
YES – Judge Megan H. Jullian
Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 22
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2023)
From DePeres, she served as the first Treatment Court Commissioner, the first of its kind in St. Louis. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology.
21ST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT – ASSOCIATE CIRCUIT JUDGE
YES – Judge Jason A Denny
Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 31
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2023)
Former assistant prosecuting attorney, former attorney for City of Crestwood
YES – Judge Daniel J Kertz
Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 37
Appointed by: Governor Mike Parson (2023)
Previously served as assistant prosecuting attorney in St Charles County
YES – Judge Natalie P Warner
Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 38
Appointed By: Governor Mike Parson (2023)
Served as an assistant attorney in Missouri Attorney Generals’ Office under Andrew Bailey.
YES – Judge John F Newsham
Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 40
Appointed by: Governor Eric Greitans (2018)
Served as former municipal judge for the City of Crestwood
YES – Judge Krista S Peyton
Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 41
Appointed By: Governor Mike Parson (2021)
Has been involved in medical malpractice litigation and landlord tenant issues.
NO – Judge Robert Heggie
Associate Circuit Judge – Circuit 21 – Div 42
Appointed by: Governor Jay Nixon (2015)
*The Tolu case exposed family court corruption to the extent that I personally cannot recommend
anyone that sat on the 21st Circuit that was involved in Family Courts.
* There was a case in 2021 where ALL judges in the Entire Eastern District Court of
Missouri Recused From Lawsuit Alleging Massive Family Court Corruption. This
does not mean that each judge was involved in corruption, but it may be true. The Tolu
case exposed family court corruption to the extent that I personally cannot recommend
anyone that sat on the 21st Circuit that was involved in Family Courts.
* PJ Media did a 27 part investigation on the corruption. https://pjmedia.com/news-and-
politics/megan-fox/2021/03/02/31-missouri-judges-recuse-themselves-from-lawsuit-alleging-
family-court-guardians-and-psychologists-orchestrated-money-making-scheme-n1428930
Respectfully yours,
Teresa Douglas
South County Republican Club, President
Lemay Republican Committeewoman
Republican Central Committee of St Louis County, Secretary
