Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Apr 11, 2025
STATE OF MISSOURI, ex rel. RUDY TAPIA and DOUGLAS ROGERS, Relators v. THE HONORABLE DEREK ANKROM, Judge of the Thirty-First Judicial Circuit, Greene County, Missouri, Respondent
Relators Rudy Tapia and Douglas Rogers sought a writ of prohibition to prevent the Respondent Judge from taking further action in their case, except to order a change of judge. The underlying case was initially filed in an improper venue, Miller County, and subsequently transferred to Greene County. After the transfer and designation of a new judge, Relators filed an application for a change of judge, which the Respondent Judge denied. The appellate court made the preliminary writ of prohibition permanent, holding that the Respondent Judge erred in denying the change of judge application because it was timely and not barred by Rules 51.02 or 51.06.