--- title: "Jalilah Otto | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jalilah-otto-judge-missouri-15th-judicial-circuit-court-mo" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Jalilah Otto Missouri 15th Judicial Circuit Court · Judge ## Profile - Court: Missouri 15th Judicial Circuit Court - State: Missouri - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### media equipment advance approval Scope: statewide Missouri Court Operating Rule 16 requires advance approval for media equipment used for courtroom coverage and allows the judge to control the number and setup of media personnel and equipment. Evidence excerpt: Failure to obtain advance approval for equipment may preclude its use in the proceeding. [Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### device use in courtroom Scope: statewide Missouri courtroom device use for media coverage is not generally permitted unless authorized by the operating rule, a local court rule, or the judge presiding in the proceeding. Evidence excerpt: No person may use any device capable of media coverage in a courtroom or court clerk's office unless specifically authorized [Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### audio video recording Scope: statewide Missouri allows limited video and audio recording for media coverage under COR 16 technical limits, subject to judicial approval and courtroom controls. Evidence excerpt: Not more than one videographer, using a single device, shall be permitted in the courtroom during a judicial proceeding at any time. [Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/bluebook/2025-2026/5_Judicial.pdf) - [Official roster](https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/bluebook/2025-2026/5_Judicial.pdf) - [Missouri Secretary of State Official Manual official judicial roster](https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/bluebook/2025-2026/5_Judicial.pdf) - [Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jalilah-otto-judge-missouri-15th-judicial-circuit-court-mo", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jalilah-otto-judge-missouri-15th-judicial-circuit-court-mo", "name": "Jalilah Otto | KnowJudges", "description": "Jalilah Otto, Missouri 15th Judicial Circuit Court. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jalilah-otto-judge-missouri-15th-judicial-circuit-court-mo#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jalilah-otto-judge-missouri-15th-judicial-circuit-court-mo#judge", "name": "Jalilah Otto", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jalilah-otto-judge-missouri-15th-judicial-circuit-court-mo", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "Missouri 15th Judicial Circuit Court" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/bluebook/2025-2026/5_Judicial.pdf" ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Missouri", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/missouri" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jalilah Otto", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jalilah-otto-judge-missouri-15th-judicial-circuit-court-mo" } ] } ] } ``` ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge Jalilah Otto made history in 2021 as the first African American woman appointed presiding judge in Jackson County, Missouri, reflecting her trailblazing role in the legal system - Began her legal career in 2002 as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Lisa White Hardwick of the Missouri Court of Appeals - She then held the role of an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and later as a special assistant U.S. attorney, prosecuting large-scale narcotics and gang cases - Additionally, she has held the role of an adjunct professor at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley and National American University ### Education - Undergraduate degree in communication and political science from Tulane University and her J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law. ### Additional information - She currently serves as a judge for Division 15 of the Missouri 16th Judicial Circuit Court, with her term running through December 31, 2030, following her retention in the 2024 election. - Originally appointed to this division in October 2017 by Governor Eric Greitens to fill a vacancy - Native of Kansas City, Missouri. - Before her current judicial role, Otto held the role of an associate circuit judge and as chief trial assistant for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office. - She is an alumna of The Missouri Bar’s Leadership Academy, which helped her build a network of mentors and professional connections across the state. - She has also maintained involvement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and has been active in professional organizations, including the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness, the Joint Commission on Women in the Profession, and local bar associations. ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Missouri Court Operating Rule 16.04, Technical](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-b0a3408119d84bbcc3619511) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=354). Collected 2026-07-26.