Beginning January 1, 2025, data shall be collected consistent with the National Center for State Courts' National Open Court Data Standards, through the statewide court automation system, unless modified by order of this Court, whether on the Court's own initiative, a recommendation of a Court committee, or otherwise.
Mo. Sup. Ct. Op. R 1.11
ORDER
On October 3, 2023, this Court adopted Court Operating Rule 1.11, entitled "Data Standards." Effective January 1, 2025, Court Operating Rule 1.11 requires the collection of data consistent with the National Open Court Data Standards ("NODS") established by the National Center for State Courts ("NCSC").
Prior to Court Operating Rule 1.11's effective date, the Office of State Courts Administrator, in conjunction with the State Judicial Records Committee, the Missouri Court Automation Committee, and other relevant Court committees, shall work to prepare the statewide court automation management system for the collection of data elements in accordance with NODS. Such preparation shall include a review of the NODS data elements in order to determine the necessity of collecting each individual data element and the feasibility of doing so within the automated court management system.
Effective April 1, 2024, race and ethnicity data elements shall be created and collected, if reasonably available, as follows:
Data Element | Definition | Values |
Race and ethnicity | Party's identification with one or more social groups | American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African America Hispanic/Latinx Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander White Other |
Race and ethnicity | The source or agency source where the race and ethnicity data was collected | Court (direct inquiry) Driver's License Law enforcement Jail Corrections/Probation Prosecutor Petitioner Another state agency Unknown |
Race and ethnicity self-identified or observed | An indicator for whether the race and ethnicity source relies upon self-identification by the party or an observation from someone else (e.g., law enforcement) | Self-identified Observed or perceived |
The racial and ethnic categories shall be combined into a single data element, and individuals shall be permitted to choose all racial and ethnic categories with which they identify. Direct inquiry by the courts and self-identification by the individual is the preferred method of identifying the applicable racial or ethnic category, unless such method of identification is not otherwise possible. Self-identification is not mandatory; rather, individuals shall be presented with the option to self-identify.
The Office of State Courts Administrator shall provide the Court with updates as to the progress of preparation for and implementation of the NODS data collection as requested.