Hon. Douglas D. Gaston is an associate circuit judge for the 25th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Matt Blunt in 2008.
The 25th Judicial Circuit Court includes Maries, Phelps, Pulaski, and Texas Counties.
Prior to his appointment, Gaston worked for three years as the Missouri deputy state treasurer (2005 to 2008). Before that, he was chief of staff and general counsel to Missouri Senate President Peter Kinder (2004). During his tenure there, Gaston was instrumental in developing the Missouri Military Family Relief Fund, which assisted families of Missouri veterans on active duty after the September 11 attacks.
He first joined the political arena as an elected representative in the Missouri House of Representatives in 1997, serving in that capacity for one year.
Over the course of his legal career, Gaston was appointed to serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Department of Justice in 2003 (2003 to 2004) and was elected the Texas County Prosecuting Attorney in 1999 (1999 to 2002). He also spent time in private practice (1995 to 2005), where he specialized in family law and estate planning.
Gaston received a B.S. from Southwest Baptist University in 1990. He went on to complete a J.D. at the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1995. He was admitted to practice in Missouri in 1995.
He is the founder of the Constitution Project, a statewide competition that allows high school students the opportunity to learn about the constitution by playing the roles of law enforcement, members of the media, attorneys, and judges. He was also involved with CASA and B.E.L.I.E.V.E.S.(Bringing Educational Leadership by Investing in and Expecting Victory in Every Student).
Gaston was born in Houston, Missouri, where he attended Houston High School.
He is registered as a Republican.