30th Judicial District Nominating Commission seeks nominees for district magistrate judge

TOPEKA—The 30th Judicial District Nominating Commission is seeking nominations to fill a district magistrate judge position in Barber County that will become vacant January 13.

The 30th Judicial District is composed of Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, and Sumner counties.

Justice Melissa Standridge, the Supreme Court departmental justice responsible for the 30th Judicial District, said individuals can apply or be nominated, but nominations must come on a nomination form and include the nominee's signature.

Eligibility requirements

Kansas law requires that the district magistrate judge be:

• a resident of Barber 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 given by the Supreme Court to become certified within 18 months.

The commission selects who is appointed to fill the district magistrate judge vacancy.

Nomination process

Nominations must be accompanied by a nomination form available from the clerk of the district court in Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, or Sumner counties, the clerk of the appellate courts in the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, or online at www.kscourts.org/judge/vacancies. 

In lieu of submitting paper copies, the commission has asked that nominees submit one copy of the nomination form and attachments electronically as instructed on the nomination form to jdnc.nominationform@kscourts.org. Any other information or credentials that may be relevant to the applicant's qualifications must also be submitted with the form. The deadline to submit a nomination form with supporting documents is noon Monday, December 2.

Applicants for the district judge vacancy in the 30th Judicial District do not need to complete an application for the district magistrate judge position. They need only fill out, sign, and submit the first page of the posted nomination form to jdnc.nominationform@kscourts.org. The electronic form must be received by noon, December 2.

Public interviews

The nominating commission will convene at 9 a.m. December 19 and 20 to interview nominees. The interviews are open to the public and will take place at:

The Hanger
126 N. Main Street
Kingman

Term of office

After serving one year in office, the new district magistrate 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 30th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Melissa Standridge as the nonvoting chair; Troy Dierking, Caldwell; Sidney Burkholder, Harper; Lance Dixon and Gregory Graffman, Kingman; Justin Goodno, Kiowa; Hannah Brass, Medicine Lodge; Jason Kirk Roberts and Tracey Beverlin, Pratt; J.C. Long and Douglas Pfalzgraf, Wellington.

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