Missouri Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge is calling for a review of the way courts hold people in jail before trial.
In her final State of the Judiciary address Tuesday, Breckenridge told lawmakers that costly pretrial incarcerations affect poor people and have negative consequences for the individual and society. She says a Supreme Court task force will recommend changes to current practices.
Breckenridge also called for higher pay for state employees who work in courts.
She touted modernized court computer systems. But she urged the Legislature to review which court documents should be made public on the courts' online system, and said the state may need to charge fees to view documents.
The courts have also started to find a replacement for Supreme Court Judge Richard Teitelman, who died Nov. 29.