Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Feb 11, 2020
Twentieth Judical Circuit of the State of Missouri, by the Honorable Isidore I. Lamke, Presiding Judge, Relator, vs. The Board of Commissioners of the County of Franklin, State of Missouri; Tim Brinker, Presiding Commissioner; Todd Boland, First District Commissioner; Dave Hinson, Second District Commissioner; and Angela Gibson, Interim Auditor of the County of Franklin, State of Missouri, Respondents.
The Twentieth Judicial Circuit of Missouri filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus to compel the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and Interim Auditor to appropriate and disburse its full Fiscal Year 2020 Court Budget Estimate, including funds for Juvenile Court operations, salaries, and benefits. The County Commission had adopted a significantly reduced budget, particularly for the Juvenile Court, and terminated two Juvenile Court employees. The appellate court issued a permanent writ of mandamus, holding that the County Commission failed to comply with Section 50.640, RSMo, by unilaterally changing the budget without the Circuit Court's consent or seeking review from the Judicial Finance Commission.