Limbaugh nears end as chief justice

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In addition to tackling the pressing legal issues of the day, the Missouri Supreme Court sits as a seven-member board of directors over the state's judicial branch.

As chief justice for the last two years, Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. of Cape Girardeau has been the chairman of the board.

Though the job has been rewarding, Limbaugh said overseeing the judicial branch, which has 3,600 employees and a $160 million budget, has also meant a lot of extra work.

"I suppose I've spent two-thirds of my time on administrative matters rather than on the work of the court, though I have kept a full caseload," Limbaugh said.

While he will remain on the bench, his tenure as chief justice ends July 1. The post rotates among the court's members every two years, with the job going to the most senior judge who hasn't had a turn.

Judge Ronnie L. White of St. Louis will succeed Limbaugh to become the court's first black chief.

Given Missouri's role in the infamous Dred Scott case that helped precipitate the Civil War, Limbaugh said it's well past time for an African-American to serve in the position.

"That is an important symbolic event and something for Missourians to celebrate," Limbaugh said.

White, who was appointed in 1995 by Gov. Mel Carnahan, will also be the first Democratic appointee to hold the post since 1987.

Though he sometimes disagrees with Limbaugh on legal interpretations, White said Limbaugh is a valued friend who will be a tough to replace as the court's leader.

"I thought Steve was an outstanding chief justice," White said. "He had to take over at a time of severe financial difficulties in the state and in particular the judiciary. No other chief justice in my time had to face that."

White, 56, deferred comment on his upcoming tenure until next week but said he is looking forward to the challenge.

"My only hesitation is if I can live up to the standard others have set," White said.

Swing to Democrats

Until last year, Republican-appointees had dominated the court since the mid-1980s. Judges chosen by Democratic governors now hold a 4-3 majority. White said the change has had little impact.

"I think everybody on the court still works together to come up with solutions everybody understands," White said.

Although the court split along partisan lines in a pair of death penalty cases handed down this week, such divisions are an exception.

Limbaugh, appointed to the court by Republican Gov. John Ashcroft in 1992, said the judges strive for unanimity when possible, though disagreements occur.

"We come from broadly diverse backgrounds, and each one of the judges contributes special strengths," Limbaugh said. "Diversity of opinion is a healthy thing."

One of the chief justice's roles is to lobby the Missouri Legislature for funding. Instead of painting a dire picture of the consequences of funding cuts like some agency heads, Limbaugh simply asked lawmakers to do their best.

"I was smart enough to know asking for money would be pointless and only irritate legislators," Limbaugh said, joking.

He regrets the fact that on his watch funding for various judicial initiatives was deeply slashed, which leaves the ongoing effort to automate state courts at a standstill.

The judge earned high marks from lawmakers for his low-key approach.

"He was never one to come over and use high-pressure influence," said state Rep. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter.

Mayer also praised Limbaugh for championing reform of the family court and foster care systems before a joint legislative session in January.

"The great thing was he had a first-hand knowledge of the system and was aware of its flaws and places where it was broken," Mayer said.

Limbaugh, who handled a number of child abuse cases as a Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court judge, established a special commission of members of all three branches of government to examine the problem. The panel's recommendations led to the passage of reform legislation last month.

The Supreme Court also took unilateral efforts to improve the judiciary's performance in such matters, such as mandating cross training of family court judges so they better understand the roles of foster care caseworkers and others in the system.

"We don't want it ever to be said a tragedy resulted from a failure to communicate between those various components of the system," Limbaugh said.

Barring an unforeseen opportunity, Limbaugh, 51, plans to seek another 12-year term when his current one expires in 2006. It's entirely possible, he said, that he could remain on the high court until he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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