Edward D. Robertson Jr.

Edward D. "Chip" Robertson Jr.
Chief Justice of Missouri
In office
July 1, 1991 – June 30, 1993
Preceded byCharles Blakey Blackmar
Succeeded byAnn K. Covington
Judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri
In office
June 28, 1985 – July 15, 1998
Appointed byJohn Ashcroft
Preceded byGeorge F. Gunn Jr.
Succeeded byMichael A. Wolff
Personal details
Born (1952-05-01) May 1, 1952 (age 72)
Durham, North Carolina
SpouseRenee Ann Beal
Alma materWestminster College
Southern Methodist University
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
John F. Kennedy School of Government
University of Virginia School of Law

Edward D. "Chip" Robertson Jr. (born May 1, 1952) is a former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Robertson was 33 years old when then-Governor John Ashcroft appointed him to serve on the court, and he served from 1985 to 1998.[1] His appointment - Ashcroft's first to the high court - led to claims that the non-partisan Missouri Plan for appointing judges was actually a highly partisan process;[2] twenty years later, Robertson would join opposition to Republican efforts to dismantle the system. In 1998 he left the Supreme Court to join a Kansas City firm which led Missouri's lawsuit against tobacco companies.[3]

Electoral politics

As early as 2005, Robertson was rumored to be mulling a challenge to then-Governor Matt Blunt in the 2008 Republican primary, but ultimately declined.[4][5]

Kevin Strickland case

In 2021, Robertson's assistance was enlisted to help seek the exoneration of Kevin Strickland, who had spent 43 years in prison despite substantial indications of complete innocence of murders committed in a Kansas City home invasion.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Missouri swears in new justice." Chicago Tribune. July 15, 1985.
  2. ^ Tim Poor, "Drive is galvanizing critics of Missouri's court plan." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Oct. 9, 1992.
  3. ^ Terry Ganey, "Governor picks SLU professor to fill vacancy on high court." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Aug. 11, 1998.
  4. ^ "Chip Robertson won't challenge Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt in primary." Kansas City Star. Aug. 11, 2007.
  5. ^ Chip Robertson in line to be Blunt's top challenger, Saint Louis Business Journal, Dave Drebes, December 11, 2005. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Kevin Strickland's fate in judge's hands; Baker urges him to right a 'terrible mistake', Luke Nozicka, November 11, 2021.