James R. LaytonTypes of cases decided by the Court:
The majority of the cases decided by the Missouri Supreme Court in the second quarter of 2019 were civil cases: In 21 opinions, the Court decided appeals in 8 criminal and 14 civil cases.
Routes to the Court:
- 5 of the cases decided in the first quarter came directly to the Court on appeal (compared to 6 in the first quarter).
- 11 came via writ petitions (compared to 10).
- 6 came on transfer from the Court of Appeals (compared to 8).
Results:
Of the civil cases, the Court affirmed in 8 and reversed in 6. The Court reversed in 6 of the 7 criminal opinions, including an opinion that decided 2 appeals.
Writs reversing a circuit court decision were issued in 8 of the 10 writ matters decided by opinion.
Cases on appeal were split: 3 affirmed; 2 reversed.
The Court decided 6 cases taken on transfer, 3 from the Eastern District, 2 from the Western District, and 1 from the Southern District. Of the cases taken on transfer, the Court reversed in 4 of 6. The Court agreed with the Eastern District twice and disagreed once. It agreed with the Western District once and disagreed once. The Southern District’s decision in the appeal transferred from that court is not available on CaseNet.
James Layton leads the firm’s Appellate practice group and is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Labor, and Education groups. He assists clients with analysis and presentation of complex legal issues in Missouri and federal courts, both trial and appellate. In addition to handling cases himself and with other attorneys at Tueth Keeney, Jim consults with clients on appellate strategy and assists other counsel in high-stakes, complex appeals.
Jim has briefed and argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and before all Missouri appellate courts””including more than 90 cases before the Missouri Supreme Court. He has represented clients in U.S. district courts and in Missouri circuit courts from Jackson County to the City of St. Louis. He has extensive experience with government-related litigation and state taxation disputes. Jim is a fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, a past president of the Bar Association of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and a past chair of the American Bar Association’s Council of Appellate Lawyers. He is a frequent speaker in the areas of appellate practice and constitutional law, both state and federal.