28th Judicial District Nominating Commission announces interview schedule for two district judge posts and one district magistrate post

TOPEKA—The 28th Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, August 3, to interview nominees to fill two district judge posts and one district magistrate post.  
  
The district magistrate judge post will be Saline County.  
  
The new judge positions were certified by Administrative Order 2022-JA-020 after the Kansas Legislature passed and the governor signed 2022 House Substitute for Substitute for Senate Bill No. 267 to fund them.  
  
The 28th Judicial District is composed of Saline and Ottawa counties.   
  
Interview schedule for district judge posts 
  
10 a.m.    
  
Samantha Angell, Salina, chamber counsel, U.S. Federal Court  
  
10:20 a.m.    
  
Nathan Dickey, Abilene, assistant county attorney, Saline County    
  
10:40 a.m.    
  
Patrick Hoffman, Salina, county counselor, Barton and Reno counties 
  
11 a.m.     
  
W. Brad Sutton, Assaria, assistant county attorney, Saline County  
  
11:20 a.m.  
   
Break    
  
11:30 a.m.  
   
Andrea Swisher, Lindsborg, private practice  
  
11:50 a.m.  
   
Amy Taylor-Norton, Salina, assistant attorney general 
   
   
12:10 p.m.   
   
Jeffery Ebel, Salina, county attorney, Saline County 
 
Interview schedule for district magistrate judge  
1:15 p.m.  
   
Richard Buck, Salina, county attorney, Ottawa County  
   
1:35 p.m.  
   
Andrew Couch, Salina, attorney, YoungWilliams, P.C.  
   
1:55 p.m.   
   
Claire Serrault-Wiseman, Salina, court services officer, 28th Judicial District  
 
 
Note: Jeffery Ebel will be interviewed for both district magistrate and district judge posts.  
 
  
Public interviews    
  
Interviews are open to the public. They will take place at:   
    
Saline County Courthouse   
Room 107   
300 W Ash.   
Salina, KS   
ADA accommodation    
  
Any person with a disability who requires accommodation to access the nominating commission meeting should notify the judicial branch ADA coordinator as early as possible, preferably 10 working days before the meeting date:    
  
ADA Coordinator    
ADA@kscourts.org  
785-296-2256    
TTY at 711    
  
Eligibility requirements    
   
Nominees for district magistrate judge must be:  

• a resident of Saline 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 to become certified within 18 months.   

   
Nominees for district judge must be:    

• at least 30 years old;    
    

• a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least five years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school; and    
    

• a resident of the judicial district at the time of taking office and while holding office.  

  
District judge nominees to the governor    
   
The nominating commission will interview nominees for the district judge positions and then select from three to five people for each vacancy whose names will be submitted to the governor to fill the positions according to statutory qualification and residency requirements. The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint.  
   
Term of office   
  
After serving one year in office, a new 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.   
  
Nominating commission   
  
The 28th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Supreme Court Justice K.J. Wall as the nonvoting chair; David Stanley of Bennington; Jay Macy of Minneapolis; Lance Cochran, Robert German, Peter Johnston, Donald Merriman, and Christine Ritter of Salina; and Robert Martin of Solomon.