Municipal Court adds administrative judge

Judge Daniel Brown has been named the first-ever St. Louis County Municipal Court Administrative Judge. Judge Brown was chosen by his fellow judges and in this role, he is responsible for the administrative duties of the Municipal Court judges and presides over all specialty courts. Those specialty courts provide services including substance use treatment, mental health treatment, job training, and housing assistance.

“An addition of an Administrative Judge adds a level of accountability to the court’s judges, increases opportunities for judicial education, and allows for coordination to achieve high performing court standards and implement progressive court reforms and practices,” said Courtney Whiteside, director of Municipal Courts.

The Court also underwent an extensive expansion of key personnel to provide additional oversight and allow for more services to be offered to those in the municipal court system. After vetting many qualified candidates, County Executive Page appointed two judges to the municipal court bench: Judge Carla Allen-Hughes and Provisional Judge Michael Schlueter. The Court’s expansion plan also included the hiring of five court clerks, allowing for greatly enhanced and expanded services, and increased efficiency.

Re-imaging Co-Occurring Court

Municipal Court rolled out Phase 1 of the re-imagined Co-Occurring Specialty Court and made the program available to all municipal divisions in St. Louis County. Participants are referred to the program and undergo a screening process that includes meeting with mental health professionals to determine what services will be needed to best support the participant’s successful completion of the program.

The structure of the program was also improved to include phases that include the completion of milestones specific to the phase and participant. A community service requirement was added and increased monitoring by Justice Services and the court throughout the program.