Rule 20.03 - Missouri Court CommunicationsPublic communications from Missouri's state courts shall be coordinated through this Court's communications counsel under the direction of this Court. The communications counsel shall be responsible for providing access to the media and the public to information about court decisions, proceedings and other matters of public interest, subject to the following:
(a) This Court's state courts administrator, and staff members designated by the courts administrator, may respond to inquiries from the public in areas of their expertise as to matters involving the court system. Inquiries from mass media may be handled by the courts administrator or staff so designated, and such inquiries shall be reported to this Court's communications counsel. Initiation of communications through the mass media by the office of state courts administrator shall be coordinated through this Court's communications counsel.(b) The chief judge of each district of the court of appeals, or a designee, shall be responsible for public communications regarding the district of the court of appeals. This Court's communications counsel is available, upon request, to assist the court of appeals in initiating and responding to communications through the mass media. The chief judge of each district of the court of appeals, or a designee, should advise this Court's communications counsel about any issue of broad public interest within the district. (c) The presiding judge of each judicial circuit shall be responsible for assigning personnel to facilitate public communications for the circuit. This Court's communications counsel is available, upon request, to assist each judicial circuit in initiating and responding to communications through the mass media. The presiding judge of each judicial circuit, or a designee, should advise this Court's communications counsel about any issue of broad public interest within the circuit. Adopted April 23, 1996, revised effective 4/28/1999.