Missouri Constitution Change: Attorney General Gains Power to Fire Sheriffs
Voters approved Amendment 8 with 51% support, limiting removal authority to the state AG for most counties while excluding the St. Louis metro area.
By John Ferrari ·
Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment that grants the state attorney general exclusive authority to remove sheriffs from office in most counties.
Amendment 8 passed with 51% of the final, unofficial vote on November 3. The measure applies to all Missouri counties except St. Louis, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County. The amendment also codifies sheriff elections in the state constitution and mandates four-year terms for these officials.
Currently, local prosecutors can petition courts to remove sheriffs. Opponents argued that centralizing this power in the attorney general's office would make it more difficult to dismiss underperforming sheriffs and reduce local oversight. Supporters, including state lawmakers, contended that the change preserves local control by preventing future legislatures from replacing elected sheriffs with state police forces.
The vote occurs roughly one year after St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery was ousted. The attorney general filed a quo warranto action against Montgomery, and a judge ruled he had forfeited his office by neglecting his duties. Montgomery has been detained since October 2025 while awaiting a federal trial on charges including witness tampering. John Hayden Jr., a former St. Louis police chief, has served as sheriff in the interim.
Most sheriffs across the state are already elected. The new constitutional framework formalizes the removal process for the vast majority of the state while leaving the St. Louis metro area under existing rules.
