“I am humbled to be given the opportunity to serve the citizens of Missouri in this important position. I will continue to serve with the same dedication and fidelity to the law that I have demonstrated since I first served as a municipal court judge beginning in 1999," said Judge Hardin-Tammons.
The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, is the state's largest appellate court, with offices in the historic Old Post Office building in downtown St. Louis.
The Court is composed of 14 judges who manage approximately 50% of the intermediate appellate caseload in Missouri, covering 25 counties and the City of St. Louis. Oral arguments are regularly conducted in St. Louis, Hannibal, Cape Girardeau and other locations within the Eastern District.
Hardin-Tammons of Olivette, is a former Associate Circuit Court Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit, which covers St. Louis County. The position became vacant due to the end of the term of the Honorable Dale Hood.
She served as a provisional municipal judge for the City of Berkeley and the City Woodson Terrace. She previously served as a St. Louis County Municipal Judge in the North division, a municipal judge for the City of Moline Acres, and an assistant county counselor.
She is a private practitioner with Dubail Judge, P.C. and a small business owner.
Hardin-Tammons received her bachelor of science degree cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and her juris doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Prior to her appointment to the court of appeals, Hardin-Tammons served as circuit judge for in the 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County) for three years and was an associate circuit judge there for two years. Prior to taking the bench in St. Louis County, she also served as a municipal judge for the city of Berkeley and the St. Louis County municipal court.
She was in the private practice of law from 1998 to 2017, and worked in both the St. Louis County public defender’s office and the St. Louis County counselor’s office. She taught criminal law classes as an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Over the years, she has been active in various bar organizations. Hardin-Tammons is a member of The Missouri Bar, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the St. Louis County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Mound City Bar Association, the Lawyers Association of St. Louis and the Women Lawyers’ Association.
She is a member and past president of the Missouri Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges Association. The Supreme Court of Missouri has appointed her to serve on its committee on practice and procedure in municipal division cases and also its task force on criminal justice. She is a frequent speaker at area schools and churches, is a member of the Gospel Symphonic Choir, and is also a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society Judge.
In 2007, she wrote the book “I’m Guilty of Loving Southern Cooking, A Soul Food Cookbook” and brought her famous wing sauce to market in 2014.
The Honorable Michael Mullen, retired circuit judge of the 22nd Judicial Circuit (St. Louis city), served as master of ceremonies. The chief judge of the Eastern District appeals court, the and the Honorable Michael E. Gardner, chief judge of the Eastern District appeals court presided. Hardin-Tammons’ son, Charles R. Tammons Jr., spoke at the ceremony, and Denise Thimes will sing.
