Judicial Administration

St. Louis County Courts

Honorable Bruce Hilton

Presiding Judge
105 South Central Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105
Telephone: 314-615-1507

Bruce Hilton was appointed circuit judge in June 2017, by Gov. Eric Greitens and retained in 2018.

Judge Hilton received his B.A. in History from St. Louis University in 1980 and his Juris Doctor from St. Louis University School of Law in 1986.

Before his appointment to the bench, he was engaged in the private practice of law. He worked for Leritz, Reinert & Duree P.C., from 1984-1989, Charles P. Todt & Assoc., from 1989-1991, Eisen, Gillespie, Brown & Hilton., from 1991-1995., Hilton, Gillespie & Kiesewetter, L.L.C., from 1995-2001, Hilton & Kiesewetter, L.L.C., from 2001-2005, Hilton Family Law Group L.L.C. 2005-2017.

Judge Hilton previously served on the board of the Meachum Park Neighborhood Improvement Association and Kirkwood Library. He is a member of St. Peters Catholic Church, The Missouri Bar (Board of Governors 1996-2007), Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, St. Louis County Bar Association (past president 2015), Lawyers Association and Mound City Bar Association. He was the chairman of the 21st Judicial Circuit Court Judicial Evaluation Committee from 2008-2013. In 1992, he received the Good Citizen’s Award from the Grand Jurors Association. Judge Hilton enjoys speaking to students on topics involving Law related education matters.

Hope E. Whitehead,

Director of Judicial Administration
105 South Central Avenue 
Clayton, MO 63105  

In 2020, Hope E. Whitehead began her term as Judicial Administer after being chosen by a majority vote of the circuit judges after a national search. Whitehead is the first African-American to hold the position. Whitehead received her Bachelor's degree from Fordham University in New York and worked as a social worker for 7 years before earning her juris doctorate from Washington University, School of Law in St. Louis. After graduation, Whitehead joined the St. Louis City Circuit Attorney's Office as a prosecutor. In 1997, she was appointed by Governor Mel Carnahan to be the State Supervisor for the Division of Liquor Control.

From 2001 to 2005, Ms. Whitehead served as a Legal Advisor for the Division of Workers' Compensation. She was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, District 57, in a special election in February 2010 and represented part of St. Louis City. Ms. Whitehead is a past president of the Mound City Bar Association, Missouri's oldest African-American lawyers association. She is a former member of The Missouri Bar Board of Governors Women's Political Caucus and the Women Lawyers Association. Prior to her appointment Ms. Whitehead was in private practice at the firm she founded, Whitehead & Associates, LLC. She lives with her husband and two sons in St. Louis.

Ms. Whitehead has the unique distinction of being appointed by four different governors to positions in their administration.