TOPEKA—The 10th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene at 8 a.m. November 17 and continue at 8:30 a.m. November 18 to interview nominees for one district judge vacancy and two district magistrate judge vacancies.
The vacancies are due to three retirements. District Judge Paul Gurney retired September 30, District Magistrate Judge Daniel Vokins will retire December 9, and District Magistrate Judge James Phelan will retire December 31.
The 10th Judicial District is composed of Johnson County.
Interview schedules
Thursday, November 17
9 a.m.
Joann Woltman, Overland Park, case smart counsel, Littler Mendelson
9:20 a.m.
Michael McCulloch, Olathe, chief public defender, 10th Judicial District Public Defender Office
9:40 a.m.
Jenifer Ashford, Prairie Village, district magistrate judge, 10th Judicial District
10 a.m.
Michelle O’Malley, Shawnee, counsel, Sandberg Phoenix, & von Gontard P.C.
10:20 a.m.
Break
11 a.m.
Katherine Sinatra, Mission Hills, general counsel, eMoney USA Holdings, LLC
11:20 a.m.
William Meyer, Overland Park, senior attorney, South Law, P.C.
11:40 a.m.
Jadh Kerr, Lenexa, partner, Speer and Holiday, LLP
1:30 p.m.
Tel Parrett, Shawnee, Law Offices of Tel Parrett
Friday, November 18
9 a.m.
Elizabeth Mellor, Overland Park, Law Office of Elizabeth Mellor
9:20 a.m.
Stefanie Benson-Hebberd, Overland Park, attorney, Jerold A. Bressel, Chartered
9:40 a.m.
Natalie Chalmers, Lenexa, assistant solicitor general, Kansas Attorney General’s Office
10 a.m.
Break
10:15 a.m.
John McEntee, Leawood, senior trial attorney, Nationwide Insurance
10:35 a.m.
Wayne Smith, Overland Park, managing attorney, Legal Aid of Western Missouri
10:55 a.m.
Curtis Sample, Olathe, The Law Office of Curtis M. Sample, LLC
Public access
Interviews are open to the public. They will take place at:
Johnson County Courthouse
Jury Assembly Room
150 W Santa Fe
Olathe, KS
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:
ADA Coordinator
ADA@kscourts.org
785-296-2256
TTY at 711
District judge appointment process
To be considered for district judge, a nominee must be:
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at least 30 years old;
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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
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a resident of the judicial district at the time of taking office and while holding office.
The nominating commission selects three to five people whose names are submitted to the governor to fill the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements.
The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint.
District magistrate judge appointment process
To be considered for district magistrate judge, a nominee must be:
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a resident of Johnson County at the time of taking office and while holding office;
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a graduate of a high school, a secondary school, or the equivalent; and
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either a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas or able to pass an examination to become certified within 18 months.
The nominating commission selects whom to appoint to fill magistrate judge positions.
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 10th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Evelyn Wilson as the nonvoting chair; Thomas Bath and Samuel Turner Sr., Leawood; James A.C. Griffith, Stephene Moore, and Annabeth Surbaugh, Lenexa; Laura McConwell, Mission; Doug Brownlee, District Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan, and Stephen Tatum, Olathe; and Janine Estrada-Lopez, Rick Guinn, Kevin Moriarty, Greg Musil, and Chris Talarico, Overland Park.