James R. LaytonTypes of cases decided by the Court.
The majority of the cases decided by the Missouri Supreme Court in the first quarter of 2019 were civil cases: The Court decided 3 criminal cases and 1 discipline matter; the other 20 cases were civil.
Routes to the Court.
- 6 of the cases decided in the first quarter came directly to the Court on appeal.
- 10 came via writ petitions.
- 8 came on transfer from the Court of Appeals””3 of those before the court of appeals issued an opinion.
Results.
Of the civil cases, the Court affirmed in 4 and reversed in 16″”though in 3, the court only reversed in part. The Court affirmed in 2 of the 3 criminal cases.
Writs reversing a circuit court decision were granted in 7 of the 10 writ matters decided by opinion.
Cases on appeal were split evenly, 3-3.
Of the cases taken on transfer, the Court reversed in 7 of 8″”including the 3 taken before opinion. The Court took 4 cases on transfer, 2 each from the Eastern and Western Districts of the Court of Appeals. The Court agreed with each district once, and disagreed once.
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.