TOPEKA—A nominating commission charged with naming candidates to fill a district judge vacancy in the 7th Judicial District has issued a request for assistance from the public.
The 7th Judicial District is a one-county district comprised of Douglas County.
The seven-member commission is responsible for submitting the names of two or three nominees to the Governor for the vacancy which will be created by the retirement of Judge Jack Murphy.
“The nominating commission is especially interested in receiving recommendations of suggested nominees to fill the vacancy from the general public. All of the citizens of the 7th Judicial District are requested to consider this matter, and the names of suggested nominees submitted by the general public will be welcomed by the commission,” according to Supreme Court Justice Eric S. Rosen, departmental chair for the 7th District.
Kansas statutes require that a judge be a resident of the district in which selected, be at least 30 years of age, have been in the active practice of law for at least five years, and have been admitted to the practice of law within the State of Kansas.
Suggested nominees are requested to complete questionnaires for the position. The completed forms should be returned to Justice Rosen, Kansas Supreme Court, 301 SW 10th Ave., Topeka, KS 66612 no later than noon, October 23, 2008. The forms are available in the office of the clerk of the district court in Douglas County and are online at www.kscourts.org.
The nominating commission will convene at 9:00 a.m., November 12, in the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center to interview the suggested nominees. The meeting will be open to the public; however, the commission has the authority to adjourn to executive session to discuss personal traits of the suggested nominees.
The law requires that the commission submit at least two names, but not more than three, to the Governor who may appoint any of the suggested nominees.
Notices of the vacancy have been mailed to every attorney in this judicial district by the chairman of the commission.
The 7th Judicial District Nominating Commission includes Justice Rosen as the nonvoting chair and Edward G. Collister, Jr., John W. Nitcher, Janine A. Cox, Robert P. Maynard, and Charles R. Epp of Lawrence; and Kurt Von Achen from Eudora.