Biography

Charles H. “Chip” McKenzie joined the bench as a circuit judge in July 2011, following his appointment by Gov. Jay Nixon under the Nonpartisan Court Plan.
Judge McKenzie began his legal career as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Jackson County, where he served from 1988 to 1993. From 1991 to 1993, he led the trial team for the Sex Crimes Unit. He was a member and later the Chair of the Jackson County Sexual Abuse Task Force, and he was board member of Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, or MOCSA.
In 1993, Judge McKenzie entered private practice at The Accurso Law Firm in Kansas City and later became a shareholder at the Firm. He primarily handled civil litigation but also served as a special prosecutor in criminal cases and continued his work on behalf of children as a member of the Child Protection Center Advisory Board and as an appointed member of the State’s Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board.
Since joining the bench, Judge McKenzie has served in several leadership roles for the Missouri Circuit Judges’ Association, including as its president.
Judge McKenzie earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Cardinal Newman College in 1985. He earned his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 1988, where he served as the President of the Student Bar Association and as an Associate Justice of the Honor Court.