The St. Louis County Circuit Court Structure
Missouri has 46 judicial circuits. St. Louis County is the 21st Judicial Circuit, a single trial court with internal divisions rather than several separate courts. Circuit judges sit in divisions 1 through 21 and handle general circuit civil and criminal dockets. Associate circuit judges sit in divisions 31 through 44 and handle associate civil, associate criminal, traffic and domestic matters. Commissioners handle family, probate and treatment-court dockets. The court homepage states its mission is a fair, impartial, prompt and cost-effective system of justice.
The presiding judge of the 21st Circuit is Hon. Bruce F. Hilton in Division 13. The assistant presiding judge is Hon. Ellen Levy in Division 11. A look at the official court homepage shows the address, hours, judge list and the Find My Case link into Case.net.
The homepage front-loads the courthouse address, the judge directory and the launch links the clerk's office uses every day.
St. Louis County Circuit Court Divisions
Local Rule 1 defines the divisions of the court. Each division group handles a category of cases. The table below summarizes the structure and the role of each group.
| Division Group | Role | What It Handles |
|---|---|---|
| Divisions 1-21 | Circuit judges | General circuit civil and criminal cases and assigned dockets. |
| Divisions 31-44 | Associate circuit judges | Associate civil, associate criminal, traffic and domestic matters. |
| Divisions 46-47 | Traffic commissioners | Department of Revenue and traffic-related matters. |
| Divisions 61-65 | Family Court commissioners | Juvenile, custody, dissolution and family matters. |
| Divisions 66-67 | Probate commissioner / deputy | Estates, guardianship, conservatorship, civil commitment. |
| Division 68 | Treatment court commissioner | Drug, DWI, mental-health and veterans treatment dockets. |
The probate court administrative judge is Hon. Nicole Zellweger in Division 5. The family court administrative judge is Hon. Jason D. Dodson in Division 10. The full judges list pairs each division with its assigned judge or commissioner.
Where the Circuit Court Sits in Missouri
The Circuit Court is the trial level. Above it sit the appellate courts. A case can move up the system if a party appeals. The Missouri Courts civic-education page lays out the same hierarchy used to train new staff.
| Court | Role |
|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Missouri | State's highest court; discretionary and constitutional jurisdiction. |
| Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District | Intermediate appeals from the 21st Circuit. |
| 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County) | Primary trial court for civil and criminal cases. |
| Municipal divisions | City ordinance and traffic cases, separate from the circuit. |
State appeals from St. Louis County generally go to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, with further review possible at the Supreme Court of Missouri. Municipal cases are a separate track and are handled by city courts.
How a Case Moves Through the Court
A case follows a path from filing to disposition. A criminal case starts with a charge filed by the prosecutor, moves through arraignment and pretrial hearings, and ends in a plea, trial or dismissal. A civil case starts with a petition, moves through service, motions and discovery, and ends in a judgment or settlement.
The flow can be summarized in a single line for a contested case: Petition or Information filed → Service or arraignment → Pretrial motions and hearings → Trial → Judgment or sentence → Appeal to the Eastern District if a party seeks review. Each step generates docket entries that the public can read on Case.net.
Note: Most cases resolve before trial through plea, settlement or dismissal; a trial is the exception, not the rule, in the 21st Judicial Circuit.
Family Court and Treatment Courts
Family Court was consolidated in 1993 and runs under a one-family, one-judge model where possible. Family Court commissioners in divisions 61 through 65 handle juvenile, custody, dissolution and child-support matters, with several judge divisions handling custody and divorce dockets. The court offers support services including counseling, probation services, mediation and parent education.
Treatment courts are alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent defendants. The official court navigation lists Co-Occurring Disorders, Drug, DWI, Mental Health, SAFETI and Veterans treatment courts. Division 68 is assigned to the Treatment Court Commissioner, Hon. Peggy McCartney. These dockets combine judicial review, supervision, treatment and accountability.
St. Louis County Courthouse Location
The Courts Building houses the circuit, associate, family, probate, traffic and treatment-court functions along with the Circuit Clerk. The building sits in downtown Clayton, one block north of the parking garage and transit center.
St. Louis County Courts Building
105 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
314-615-8029
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Maps and Directions page points to the Shaw Park Drive Garage at 232 S. Meramec for parking, one block south, where the Clayton MetroLink station sits. Security screening at the main entrance prohibits weapons and sharp items.
The maps page is the place to confirm parking, transit and security rules before a courthouse visit.