Mo. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 544
Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 544.275 (2026)

State correctional facilities may be used for certain civil or criminal proceedings not requiring a jury

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  544.275.  State correctional facilities may be used for certain civil or criminal proceedings not requiring a jury. — When a person committed to the department of corrections is a defendant in a criminal or civil proceeding other than jury trials, or a plaintiff in a civil proceeding other than a jury trial, or the movant in a postconviction proceeding, such proceeding may in the discretion of the judge be heard within a correctional facility of the department of corrections.

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(L. 1981 H.B. 223 § 1, A.L. 1988 H.B. 1340 & 1348, A.L. 1990 H.B. 974)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases, 1982–2016 · leading case: In re the Marriage of: John William McNeal v. Sylvia Ruth McNeal-Sydnor, 472 S.W.3d 194 (Mo. 2015).
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In re the Marriage of: John William McNeal v. Sylvia Ruth McNeal-Sydnor, 472 S.W.3d 194 (Mo. 2015). · cites it 26× “230 1 and section 544.275 are unconstitutional because these statutes do not grant prisoners an unconditional right to be present in court to litigate civil actions to which the prisoner is a party.”
State Ex Rel. Turner v. Kinder, 740 S.W.2d 654 (Mo. 1987). · cites it 18× “And in 1981 the General Assembly enacted section 544.275, RSMo 1986, which reads as follows: 1.”
Call v. Heard, 925 S.W.2d 840 (Mo. 1996). · cites it 4× “Heard argues alternatively that the trial judge denied him meaningful access by failing to afford him the alternatives to a personal appearance mentioned above.”
Beckwith v. Giles, 32 S.W.3d 659 (Mo. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 2× “See § 544.275, RSMo 1994; § 561.031, RSMo 1999 Cum.”
State v. Scott, 933 S.W.2d 884 (Mo. Ct. App. 1996). “2d at 864 (citing §§ 544.275 and 561.031). 3 . United States v.”
Meadows v. Meadows, 330 S.W.3d 798 (Mo. Ct. App. 2011). “3d at 663 (internal citations omitted); see § 544.275. In 1995, the General Assembly amended [section 491.”
State ex rel. Kittrell v. Carr, 878 S.W.2d 859 (Mo. Ct. App. 1994). “, §§ 544.275, 561.031 Cum.Supp.1993 (authorizing conduct of non-jury proceedings within correctional facilities or by closed circuit T.”
State v. Porter, 755 S.W.2d 3 (Mo. Ct. App. 1988). “The state relied on a separate statutory section, § 544.275, which allows preliminary hearings, and pre- or post-conviction proceedings to be held within a facility of the department of corrections.”
State v. Meeks, 635 S.W.2d 14 (Mo. 1982). · cites it 2× “As an observation, we direct consideration to § 544.275, RSMo 1978 (Supp.1982), 3 which hereafter permits the judge, at his discretion, to hold similar hearings within the correctional facility of which an appellant (or any movant) is being held.”
John William McNeal v. Sylvia Ruth McNeal, No. WD79203 (Mo. Ct. App. July 12, 2016). · cites it 2× “Finally, section 544.275 provides: When a person committed to the department of corrections is a defendant in a criminal or civil proceeding other than jury trials, or a plaintiff in a civil proceeding other than a jury trial, or the movant in a postconviction 10 proceeding,…”
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