Hon. Michael J. Cordonnier (Ret.)

In 2008, Cordonnier was appointed Greene County Circuit Judge.  He was elected to judicial office that same year.  Subsequently, he was retained in 2012 and 2018 and served until his retirement from the bench in 2023.  In his first retention election, Judge Cordonnier earned the highest Judicial Performance Evaluation score among all Circuit and Appellate Judges retained in the state. His fellow judges awarded him a perfect score, recognizing his exceptional skill and dedication to his profession.

While serving as a Circuit Judge, Judge Cordonnier was elected by his peers statewide to serve as President of the Missouri Circuit Judges’ Association in 2015-2016.  The association represents all Circuit Judges in current events and as a liaison to the Missouri Supreme Court and the Missouri Legislature.

In 2016 Judge Cordonnier was elected to serve as the Presiding Judge of the 31st Judicial Circuit Court, an office he held until stepping down pending retirement.  Upon election as the Presiding Judge, Judge Cordonnier was appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Presiding Judges’ Executive Committee.  The PJEC is a group of 12 Presiding Judges from throughout the state that serve as the liaison between the Circuit Court’s Presiding Judges and the Missouri Supreme Court.

Throughout his tenure, Judge Cordonnier worked with other judges and elected officials to obtain legislative authorization for an additional Family Court Commissioner position in Greene County, strengthening the court’s ability to handle family-related cases effectively.  Again, with other judges and elected representatives, Judge Cordonnier was instrumental in legislation that authorized Greene County to gain two additional Associate Circuit Judicial positions.  Finally, in 2017, with Judge Cordonnier’s leadership, legislation was passed awarding Greene County an additional Circuit Judge, the first such judicial position to be added in 40 years.  The addition of these judicial officers reinforced the ability of the Court to provide timely and efficient justice in Greene County.

• BS from the University of Missouri-Columbia
• JD from the University of Tulsa College of Law

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