10th Judicial District Nominating Commission to meet July 12

TOPEKA—The 10th Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet by videoconference at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 12, to review nominations for a district magistrate judge vacancy created by Judge Robert Scott’s June 8 retirement.

The 10th Judicial District is composed of Johnson County.
 
Public access
 
The meeting is open to the public. It will take place via videoconference and will be livestreamed on the Kansas judicial branch YouTube channel.  
  
To comment:  

• call 845-361-8917

• enter guest passcode 3872788#

Public interviews    
  
The nominating commission will meet to interview nominees at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 26.  Interviews are open to the public. They will take place at:  
   
Johnson County Courthouse 
150 W Santa Fe St.  
Olathe, KS  
   
The interview schedule will be announced once it’s finalized.    
  
The nominees are:  

• Stefanie Benson-Hebberd, Overland Park, attorney, Jerold A. Bressel, Chartered

• Douglas Hill, Leawood, attorney, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC

• Elizabeth Mellor, Overland Park, Law Office of Elizabeth Mellor

• Wayne Smith, Overland Park, managing attorney, Legal Aid of Western Missouri

 

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:
  
ADA Coordinator    
ADA@kscourts.org
785-296-2256    
TTY at 711

District magistrate judge appointment process

To be considered for district magistrate judge, a nominee must be:

• a resident of Johnson 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.

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, Leawood; Stephene Moore, and Annabeth Surbaugh, Lenexa; Laura McConwell, Mission; Doug Brownlee and District Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan, Olathe; Janine Estrada-Lopez, Rick Guinn, District Judge Timothy McCarthy, Kevin Moriarty, Greg Musil, and Chris Talarico, Overland Park; Haile Sims, Roeland Park; and Trenton Dansel, Westwood.