William Howard Billings

William Howard Billings (August 21, 1921 – May 23, 1991) was a judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Prior to his appointment by then-Governor Kit Bond, he had been a member of the Missouri Court of Appeals in Springfield, and before that a circuit court judge; both times he was appointed by Democratic Governor Warren Hearnes.[2] Judge Billings was noted for his hard work ethic and his unwavering dedication to upholding the highest standards expected of judges; however, he was found by a federal judge to have violated the court's canon of ethics by telephoning an expert without the consent of the parties' attorneys.[2] He was also a staunch opponent of allowing cameras into courtrooms,[3] and once threw out two journalists from the Missouri Supreme Court Building.[2] He died less than two months before he was supposed to retire, under Missouri's age limit for judges.