City of St. Louis Criminal Defense Lawyers
Speak With Us for FREE – 314-827-6222
JMH Law Firm, LLC takes criminal defense and traffic cases in the City of St. Louis, from felony charges at the Carnahan Courthouse to tickets in the City Municipal Court. Clients in the city work with our Brentwood office.
The City of St. Louis is not St. Louis County
This is the first thing to get right. St. Louis has been an independent city since 1876: it is not part of any county, and it acts as both a city and a county. That means a charge in the city goes through different courts, a different prosecutor and different local rules than a charge in Clayton.
- State charges (felonies and state misdemeanors) are heard by the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, which covers the city alone, and are prosecuted by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney.
- City ordinance violations, including most city traffic tickets, are heard by the City of St. Louis Municipal Court.
You can look up a pending state case on Missouri Case.net.
The 22nd Circuit's courthouses
As of 2026, the 22nd Judicial Circuit sits in three buildings:
| Building | Address | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Carnahan Courthouse | 1114 Market Street | Divisions 17–23, 24/29, 25 and 26, and the treatment court |
| Clyde S. Cahill Courts Building | 10 North Tucker Boulevard | Divisions 1–16, 27 and 28, and the Circuit Clerk |
| Family Court, Juvenile Division | 920 North Vandeventer Avenue | Division 30 |
The court's main number is 314-622-4500. For a criminal case, the Carnahan Courthouse is where you're most likely to go: the local rules direct requests for copies of criminal case records to the Circuit Clerk's office on its 2nd floor.
How a criminal case moves through the 22nd Circuit
Under the city's local rules, two associate circuit divisions in the Carnahan Courthouse, Divisions 25 and 26, handle the front end of every case. Odd-numbered cases go to Division 25 and even-numbered cases to Division 26.
- Arrest and release conditions. For people arrested without a warrant, a Pretrial Release Commissioner can set conditions of release. If you can't meet them, you can apply in writing for a hearing before a judge, which the rules say should happen within 24 hours or at the next regular court session. When the clerk's office is closed, a duty judge handles new charges and release conditions.
- Charges filed. When a felony complaint is filed, the case is randomly assigned to one of the general trial divisions, but it stays in Division 25 or 26 until arraignment.
- Preliminary hearing. All felony preliminary hearings are held in Division 25 or 26. Missouri law requires one before a prosecutor files a felony information, unless you waive it or a grand jury indicts you (RSMo 544.250). In the city, indictments are returned in Division 1.
- Arraignment in Division 25 or 26. The judge then sends the felony to its assigned general division and gives you a date to appear there.
- Trial setting. The general divisions rotate between criminal and civil trial weeks. Under the local rules, a felony is presumed ready for trial 120 days after arraignment for an A or unclassified felony, 90 days for a B felony, and 60 days for a C, D or E felony.
Misdemeanors are heard by the associate judges in Divisions 25 and 26. Division 24 is the misdemeanor jury trial division. Read more about felony defense and misdemeanor defense.
Treatment court in the city
The St. Louis Treatment Court offers three tracks as of 2026: an adult treatment court, a Veterans Court and a Family Treatment Court. The court describes it as substance abuse treatment combined with supervision and judicial oversight. Participants get treatment, frequent random drug and alcohol testing, and regular appearances before a treatment court commissioner, who sits in Division 25A on the 5th floor of the Carnahan Courthouse.
The local rules let a judge in a general division transfer a case to Division 25 or 26 so a plea and disposition can be handled through the treatment court. If addiction played a part in your charge, ask your lawyer about it early. Veterans can also read our veterans criminal defense page, and anyone charged with a drug offense can start with drug crimes.
The City of St. Louis Municipal Court
The City Municipal Court is a division of the 22nd Circuit at 1520 Market Street, Suite 1120, St. Louis, MO 63103 (314-622-3231), open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. According to the city, it hears:
- traffic tickets written by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol;
- minor criminal ordinance charges;
- dumping, housing code, earnings tax and truancy cases.
It does not hear state misdemeanors or felonies, and it doesn't hold jury trials. Parking tickets are handled separately. Under the 22nd Circuit's local rules, if you have a right to a jury and ask for one, the municipal judge certifies the case to Division 24, where it is tried on the record with no later trial de novo. That trade-off is worth discussing with a lawyer before you make the request. For more, see traffic tickets.
Our Brentwood office
JMH Law Firm, LLC's Brentwood office at 8821 Manchester Road, Brentwood, MO 63144 serves clients with cases in the city. Call 314-827-6222 or contact us online to talk through your charge and your next court date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are criminal cases heard in the City of St. Louis?
Most criminal cases start in Division 25 or 26 of the 22nd Judicial Circuit, in the Carnahan Courthouse at 1114 Market Street. Misdemeanors stay there. After arraignment, a felony moves to a general trial division, which may sit in the Carnahan Courthouse or in the Cahill Courts Building at 10 North Tucker Boulevard.
Is the City of St. Louis part of St. Louis County?
No. St. Louis has been an independent city since 1876 and is not part of any county. It has its own circuit court (the 22nd), its own prosecutor (the Circuit Attorney) and its own municipal court. A case in Clayton is a St. Louis County case, not a city case.
Where is the St. Louis City Municipal Court?
The City Municipal Court is at 1520 Market Street, Suite 1120, St. Louis, MO 63103, phone 314-622-3231. It hears city traffic tickets and other ordinance violations. It doesn't hear state misdemeanors or felonies, and it doesn't hold jury trials.
Does the City of St. Louis have a treatment court?
Yes. As of 2026, the St. Louis Treatment Court offers adult, veterans and family treatment court tracks. Participants get treatment, frequent random drug and alcohol testing and regular court appearances before a treatment court commissioner at the Carnahan Courthouse.
