Hon. Matthew W. Houston is an associate circuit judge for the 20th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Mike Parson in 2022, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. David L. Hoven (Ret.).
The 20th Judicial Circuit Court includes Franklin, Gasconade, and Osage Counties.
Prior to his appointment, Houston was an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. He started with the office in 2015, beginning in traffic and misdemeanor, before working his way up to a domestic violence prosecutor and later to felonies in 2018.
He received a B.S. in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Houston went on to complete a J.D. at Saint Louis University School of Law. He was admitted to practice in Missouri in 2013.
After graduating from law school, Houston began his legal career practicing family law in private practice.
At the time of his appointment, he resided in Pacific, Missouri. While attending university, Houston funded his education by working as a full-time police dispatcher in St. Louis County.