Important case handling information for attorneys

Attorneys, please observe the following procedures in handling cases in the City of St. Louis Municipal Court. Please also share this information with your staff assisting you in handling your cases in this court. 

Please do not include motions or requests for recommendation in your entry of appearance. The entry and any motion you may file should be efiled as separate efilings. Including your motion in your entry will cause delays in the processing of your motion. The case will not automatically be continued when you enter your appearance. You must efile a timely motion for continuance. 

It is not sufficient to efile a request for recommendation with the court. Your request for recommendation must be sent to and handled directly with the City Counselor. stlmuniprosecutor@stlouis-mo.gov. Please follow the procedures on the court’s web site when seeking a recommendation. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/municipal-courts/prosecutors-recommendation.cfm. The court cannot forward your requests to the City Counselor. 

Requests for a recommendation should be submitted to the City Counselor three weeks in advance of the court date to allow time for processing. If you need a continuance in order to receive a recommendation, you are responsible for obtaining a continuance from the court. The City Counselor cannot continue cases for you. 

It is not sufficient to e-file a motion for discovery with the court. Your request for discovery must also be sent to and handled in the first instance with the City Counselor. The court will not entertain a motion to compel discovery unless there has first been an attempt to resolve.

Motions for continuance should be efiled at least 5 business days before the scheduled court session. When that is not possible because the client has engaged counsel less than 5 days in advance, the motion should be filed as soon as possible after counsel has been engaged. If, for this reason, the motion is efiled less than two days before the session, counsel should phone the clerk’s office to confirm that the motion has been accepted for filing and presented to a judge. Motions for continuance e-filed on the day before the session, or the day of the session, or during the weekend for a Monday session, are subject to being summarily denied.  

The Issues Session is held every Tuesday, at 11:00 AM. To be seen on the Issues Session, the case must first be added to the scheduled cases for the Issues session in the system before 10:30 AM on the day of the session. The clerk’s office can assist you with this. If you walk in at 11:00 AM, but have not been scheduled in the system before 10:30 AM, you will not be seen or have your case or motion considered.