7th Judicial District Nominating Commission to interview nominees for vacancy

TOPEKA—The 7th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 23, to interview nominees to fill a district judge vacancy in Douglas County created by the June 15 retirement of Judge Paula Martin.

The commission will meet in the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E 11th St., Lawrence. Interviews are open to the public.

The 7th Judicial District is composed of Douglas County.

The nominees are:

• Andrew Bauch, Lawrence, assistant district attorney, Douglas County

• Dennis Depew, Lawrence, assistant attorney general of Kansas

• Stacey Donovan, Lawrence, chief public defender, Shawnee County Public Defender Office

• Carl Folsom III, Lawrence, assistant federal public defender, U.S. District Court of Kansas

• Blake Glover, Baldwin City, private practice; city attorney for Baldwin City

• Chelsi Hayden, Lincoln, Neb., assistant clinical professor of law, University of Nebraska School of Law

• Jonathon Noble, Lawrence, assistant attorney general of Kansas

• Shon Qualseth, Lawrence, assistant attorney general of Kansas

• Bethany Roberts, Lawrence, judge pro-tem, 7th Judicial District

• Mark Simpson, Lawrence, assistant district attorney, Douglas County.

The commission will select from three to five nominees whose names will be submitted to the governor to fill the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements. If there are not three nominees who reside in the judicial district who are deemed qualified by the commission, the commission may consider nominees who reside outside the district. The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint.

After serving one year in office, the 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.

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.

The 7th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Supreme Court Justice Eric Rosen as the nonvoting chair; and Stephanie Davis, Lisa Harris, Michael McGrew, Wesley Smith, Daniel Watkins, and Elizabeth Cateforis, all of Lawrence.