TOPEKA—A nominating commission charged with naming candidates to fill a district judge vacancy in the 31st Judicial District has issued a request for assistance from the public.
The 31st Judicial District includes Allen, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties.
The nine-member commission is responsible for submitting the names of two or three nominees to the Governor for the vacancy which will be created when Judge Timothy E. Brazil retires effective April 2.
"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 31st 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 Lee A. Johnson, departmental justice for the 31st 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 Johnson, 301 SW 10th Avenue, Room 338, Topeka, KS 66612 no later than noon, April 6, 2011. The forms are available in the office of clerk of the district court, any of the counties in the district. They also are available online at www.kscourts.org.
No date for interviews of applicants by the nominating commission has been set. 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 have been mailed to every attorney in this judicial district by the chairman of the commission.
The 31st Judicial District judicial nominating commission includes Justice Johnson, as the nonvoting chairman, and John K. Chenoweth, Fredonia; James M. Immel, Iola; R. Kent Pringle, Chanute; William N. Lacy and Nicky C. Hay, Yates Center; Rochelle R. Chronister, Neodesha, David L. Ensminger, Moran; and James G. Keath, Stark.