St. Louis City County Circuit Court Overview
Missouri's primary trial court is the Circuit Court. St. Louis City is the 22nd Judicial Circuit. The circuit describes itself as a state court of general jurisdiction for civil and criminal cases, with court functions spread across downtown court buildings. Circuit courts in Missouri handle felony criminal cases, major civil cases, domestic relations, probate, juvenile, landlord-tenant, small claims, associate civil, and municipal-division matters depending on division and case type.
The 22nd Judicial Circuit homepage is the state trial court home for St. Louis City County Circuit Court records. Use the 22nd Judicial Circuit for local state cases, and use federal court systems only when the case is truly federal.
Clyde S. Cahill Courts Building
10 North Tucker Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63101
314-622-4500
Main civil, family, probate, and court administration presence.
Mel Carnahan Courthouse
1114 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
Criminal, associate circuit, Circuit Attorney, and public defender functions.
District Court Means Federal Court
St. Louis City does not have a Missouri state trial-level district court. In local state records, the equivalent court is the Circuit Court. The phrase district court usually points to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, a federal court with different jurisdiction, different records, and different access systems. Federal civil rights cases, federal criminal cases, habeas matters, prisoner civil rights actions, diversity cases, and federal-question cases do not become St. Louis City Circuit Court cases just because they involve people or events in the city.
The Eastern District of Missouri homepage is the federal district court source, not the local state Circuit Court source.
For Missouri state cases, use the Circuit Court and Case.net path. For federal cases, use PACER, CM/ECF, or the federal clerk.
St. Louis City County Circuit Court Divisions
The 22nd Judicial Circuit has numbered divisions, judges, commissioners, and courtrooms in the Cahill, Carnahan, and juvenile court locations. The table below is an abbreviated division inventory from the official judges list. It is not a daily docket, so use Case.net, trial calendars, or the court directly for active hearing confirmation.
| Court or Division | Type | Location | Phone Field Shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Div. 01, Christopher E. McGraugh | Presiding Judge | Cahill, 10th Floor NW | Clerk 314-622-4493 |
| Div. 02, Clinton R. Wright | Circuit division | Cahill, 5th Floor NE | Clerk 314-622-4340 |
| Div. 03, Elizabeth B. Hogan | Circuit division | Cahill, 5th Floor SE | Clerk 314-622-4313 |
| Div. 04, Katherine M. Fowler | Circuit division | Cahill, 5th Floor SW | Clerk 314-622-4332 |
| Div. 10, Calea Stovall-Reid | Circuit division | Cahill, 7th Floor SW | Clerk 314-622-4869 |
| Div. 17, Thomas A. McCarthy | Carnahan division | Carnahan, 3rd Floor | JOA 314-622-4272 |
| Div. 20, Joan L. Moriarty | Carnahan division | Carnahan, 8th Floor | Clerks 314-622-4503 / 314-622-4555 |
| Div. 25, Karma Johnson | Criminal or associate setting | Carnahan, 1st Floor | Clerk 314-622-4096 |
| Div. 30, Catherine A. Dierker | Juvenile Court | 920 N. Vandeventer, Courtroom 3 | 314-552-2800 |
| Probate, Jill M. Hanley | Probate Commissioner | Probate Division | Clerk 314-622-4313 |
| Probate, Kevin B. Anderson | Probate Commissioner | Probate Division | Clerk 314-622-4313 |
St. Louis City County Court Comparison
St. Louis City County Circuit Court records can be confused with municipal, probate, and federal records. The right court depends on the claim, charge, citation, or filing type. Municipal Court is local in function and handles many ordinance and traffic matters, but its cases are now searched through Case.net. Probate is a division of the Circuit Court. Federal district court is separate.
| Point | Circuit Court | Municipal Court | Federal District Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | Missouri state trial court for St. Louis City | City ordinance, many traffic, municipal bench warrant matters | Federal civil and criminal jurisdiction |
| Record system | Case.net and Circuit Clerk | Case.net after Municourt.net ended | PACER and CM/ECF |
| Local courthouse | Cahill and Carnahan buildings | 1520 Market Street, Suite 1120 | Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse |
| Common records | Civil, criminal, family, probate, associate cases | Traffic citations, ordinance violations, municipal warrants | Federal docket sheets, pleadings, orders, judgments |
St. Louis City County Case Flow
Circuit Court cases move differently by case type, but most records follow a chain of filing, docket entries, hearing settings, orders, and final disposition. Criminal cases may begin after arrest and prosecutor review. Civil cases begin with a petition or complaint. Family and probate matters use specialized forms and may include restricted documents. Appeals from St. Louis City generally route to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.
Criminal flow: Arrest or referral › complaint, information, or indictment › arraignment › pretrial settings › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil flow: Petition filed › summons and service › answer or default › motions and discovery › hearing or trial › judgment › post-judgment collection or appeal.
For a broader search path across case types, start with St. Louis City County court records, then use the Circuit Clerk when a certified document is required.
Federal Court Records in St. Louis
The federal courthouse for the Eastern District of Missouri is the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse, 111 South 10th Street, St. Louis, MO 63102. The federal court page lists phone 314-244-7900 and fax 314-244-7909. The courthouse page lists Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM hours and after-hours number 314-244-7904. The federal Clerk of Court is Nathan M. Graves, and the court page identifies Hon. Stephen R. Clark as Chief Judge.
The Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse page gives the federal courthouse location and hours.
Federal records should not be requested from the St. Louis Circuit Clerk unless the same dispute also has a separate state case.
The Eastern District CM/ECF page explains the federal electronic filing and case management system.
CM/ECF is for federal filings and docket management, while public federal docket and document access usually runs through PACER.
St. Louis City County Federal Channels
Federal records in St. Louis may also involve PACER, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. PACER is the public access system for federal docket and document retrieval. Bankruptcy cases are not kept by the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Appeals from federal district court generally route to the Eighth Circuit, while appeals from the state Circuit Court route through the Missouri appellate system.
The PACER registration page is the public federal record access route.
PACER registration is not needed for ordinary Missouri Case.net searches, but it is central to federal court document retrieval.
The Eastern District of Missouri Bankruptcy Court is the separate federal bankruptcy court for the region.
Bankruptcy records follow the federal bankruptcy court path instead of the state Circuit Court copy channel.
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals is the federal appellate court above the Eastern District of Missouri.
That appellate route is distinct from the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, which hears state appeals from St. Louis City Circuit Court.