11th Judicial District Nominating Commission to interview nominees for district judge vacancy

TOPEKA—The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet Tuesday, October 12, to interview nominees to fill a district judge vacancy created by Oliver Kent Lynch's July 30 retirement.
 
The commission will convene at 8:50 a.m. and interviews will start at 9:30 a.m.
 
The 11th Judicial District is composed of Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette counties.
 
Public interviews
 
Interviews are open to the public. They will take place in the Cherokee County Courthouse at 110 W. Maple in Columbus.
 
The nominees are:

• Maradeth Frederick, solo practitioner

• Troy A. Unruh, Contract Counsel for YoungWilliams

• Candace Brewster Gayoso, guardian ad litem for Cherokee County and city attorney for Weir, Baxter Springs, and Galena

• JoAnna L. Derfelt, solo practitioner

• Douglas R. Steele, solo practitioner

• Nathan R. Coleman, Cherokee County Attorney

• Valorie R. Leblanc, district magistrate judge, 6th Judicial District

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
 
Eligibility requirements
 
A nominee 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.

Nominees to governor
 
The nominating commission will select from three to five people whose names will be 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.
 
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.
 
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 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Evelyn Wilson as the nonvoting chair; Sara Beezley, Pittsburg; James Cook, Parsons; William Shane Adamson, Parsons; John Lehman, Girard; Judge Oliver Lynch, Baxter Springs; and Angela Rippel, Scammon.