28th Judicial District Nominating Commission to interview nominees for magistrate judge

TOPEKA—The 28th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene Tuesday, July 28, to interview three nominees to fill a district magistrate judge vacancy in Ottawa County.

The vacancy was created by the August 14 retirement of Judge Mary Thrower.

The commission will convene in the Ottawa County Courthouse, 307 N. Concord, Minneapolis. The time will be announced later. Interviews are open to the public.

The 28th Judicial District is composed of Ottawa and Saline counties.

The nominees to be interviewed are:

• Andrew Couch, Salina, private practice lawyer;

• Amy C. Crawford, Salina, assistant county attorney, Dickinson County Attorney’s Office; and

• Jason C. Parks, Minneapolis, owner of Ink Sharks LLC and Messenger Publishing Company.

Kansas law requires that a district magistrate judge be:

• a resident of Ottawa County at the time of taking office and while holding office;

• a graduate of a high school, a secondary school, or the equivalent; and

• either a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas or able to pass an examination given by the Supreme Court to become certified within 18 months.

After interviews conclude, the commission will appoint the district magistrate judge.

After serving one year in office, the new magistrate judge must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, the incumbent will serve a four-year term.

The 28th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Supreme Court Justice Caleb Stegall as the nonvoting chair; David Stanley of Bennington; Jay Macy of Minneapolis; Lance Cochran, Robert German, Peter Johnston, Christine Ritter, and Darrell Wilson of Salina; and Robert Martin of Solomon.