Missouri 22nd Judicial Circuit CourtJudiciary

The Missouri 22nd Judicial Circuit Court is the state trial court of general jurisdiction serving exclusively the independent City of St. Louis, Missouri. Its judicial mandate is to preside over all felony criminal prosecutions, major civil litigation, probate proceedings, family court matters, and juvenile cases within the city. While trial courts in St. Louis trace their origins to territorial courts in 1815 and the initial 1820 Missouri Constitution, the standalone 22nd Judicial Circuit was established in 1876 when St. Louis voters approved the historic "Great Divorce," separating the City of St. Louis from St. Louis County to create a distinct judicial and municipal jurisdiction.