JEFFERSON CITY • A Missouri appeals court has dumped another attempt by the National Football League to avoid a courtroom showdown over the decision to move the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles.

In a tersely worded rebuke issued Tuesday, Missouri Court of Appeals Judge Philip Hess turned down the latest maneuver by the NFL, saying the league’s ongoing attempt to settle the case out of the public eye failed to meet legal muster.

The ruling is another setback for the Rams and the NFL’s 32 owners, who are fighting a 2017 lawsuit filed by the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, St. Louis and St. Louis County.

The sports authority, city and county are alleging the move resulted in a breach of contract and unjust enrichment by the Rams, the NFL and its owners.

The Rams, who were in St. Louis for more than 20 years, are 4-0 in their third season on the West Coast.