Four apply for magistrate judge vacancy in 6th Judicial District

TOPEKA—Four people applied to fill a magistrate judge vacancy in the 6th Judicial District, sitting in Bourbon County.

The applicants are:

• Valorie R. Leblanc of Fort Scott, who currently is assistant county attorney in Bourbon County, assistant county counselor for the Bourbon County commissioners, and city attorney for the City of Fulton.

• Reina J. Probert of Jasper, Missouri, who currently is deputy county attorney in the Crawford County Attorney’s office.

• Heather E. Russell of Uniontown, who currently is case manager/juvenile intensive supervision probation officer for the 6th Judicial Community Corrections.

• Angel Y. Wilson of Fort Scott, who currently works as an office administrator in the Bourbon County Attorney’s office.

The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission is tentatively scheduled to convene to interview candidates August 22 in the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S National, Fort Scott, although the time is not yet set. Interviews are open to the public, but the commission can adjourn to executive session during the meeting to discuss nominee personal traits.

Kansas law requires that a magistrate judge be a resident of the county at the time of swearing in, be at least 30 years old, be a high school graduate or its equivalent, and, if not admitted to practice law in Kansas, be certified by the Supreme Court as qualified to serve in the job.

The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Lee A. Johnson as the nonvoting chair; and Richard M. Fisher Jr., Osawatomie; Alan D. Hurt, Mound City; Blake D. Hudson, Fort Scott; Blake Heid, Paola; Ronald P. Wood, Louisburg; and Mark McCoy, Fort Scott.