Circuit Judge

2008

Judge Ohmer was appointed an associate circuit judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit in May 1994 and retained by the voters in 1996. He was appointed circuit judge in August 2000 and retained by the voters in 2002. He graduated from St. Louis University High School and received a bachelors degree in economics and history at Florida State University in 1975 and his law degree from Creighton University in 1979. He served as an assistant circuit attorney for the City of St. Louis from 1979 to 1983 and again from 1987 to the time of his appointment as an associate circuit judge in 1994. He serves on the Circuit Court Budget Committee and the Family Court Committee of the Missouri Supreme Court. He has authored a chapter on landlord/tenant law for the bench book for Missouri trial judges. He volunteers as a moot court judge at Washington University School of Law and for the local bar associations. He is an active member and lector at St. Pius V Catholic Parish and also volunteers for the St. Vincent DePaul Society and the Stand-down Project for Homeless Veterans. His athletic interests include coaching girls’ soccer at St. Ambrose Catholic School and competing in triathlons sponsored by various community organizations.

Attorneys who responded to survey questions rated Judge Ohmer on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing “not at all” and 5 representing “completely.”

Judge Ohmer received his highest scores for: maintaining proper order and decorum, 4.57; being prepared for hearings and trials, 4.42; and demonstrating appropriate demeanor on the bench, 4.52. Judge Ohmer’s lower scores were for: weighing evidence fairly, 4.37; stating reasons and applying substantive law in rulings on dispositive motions, 4.37; effectively using pretrial procedures to narrow and define the issues, 4.34; and not being affected by partisan considerations, 4.37.

The committee also reviewed survey responses submitted by jurors who were seated in jury trials before Judge Ohmer. Judge Ohmer received an almost unanimous favorable response from the jurors on questions relating to 10 separate criteria for his conduct throughout the jury trials.

The committee has also reviewed a written opinion submitted by Judge Ohmer which dealt with numerous issues of constitutional law and found that the opinion was well-reasoned, clearly written and faithful to the case precedents ruling on the Missouri Constitution and statutes, and St. Louis city ordinances.