TOPEKA—A nominating commission charged with filling a Shawnee County District Court vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles Andrews has set May 24th as the deadline for applying for it.
The seven-member commission is responsible for submitting the names of two or three nominees to the Governor for the vacancy which was created when Judge Andrews retired effective March 30th.
"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 3rd 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 Marla J. Luckert, departmental justice for the 3rd Judicial 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 Luckert, Kansas Supreme Court, 301 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612, no later than noon, May 24, 2012. The forms are available in the office of the clerk of the district court in Topeka and online at www.kscourts.org.
The nominating commission will convene at 9:00 a.m. June 11, 2012, in the Shawnee County Courthouse 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 are being mailed to every attorney in this judicial district by the chair of the commission.
The 3rd District judicial nominating commission includes Justice Luckert, as the nonvoting chair, and Lee R. Barnett, Wakarusa; Toby L. McCullough, Rossville; Terry E. Beck, Thomas G. Lemon, Jolene C. Miller, and C. Patrick Woods of Topeka.