9th Judicial District Nominating Commission seeks nominees for district magistrate judge

TOPEKA—The 9th Judicial District Nominating Commission is seeking nominations to fill a district magistrate judge vacancy in McPherson County.
 
The vacancy will be created when District Magistrate Judge Amanda Faber’s term expires.
 
The 9th Judicial District is composed of Harvey and McPherson counties.
 
Justice Melissa Standridge, the Supreme Court departmental justice responsible for the 9th 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 McPherson 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 Harvey or McPherson counties, the clerk of the appellate courts in the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, or online at www.kscourts.org/judge/vacancies.
 
The commission asks that nominees submit one copy of the nomination form and attachments electronically to jdnc.nominationform@kscourts.org. Other information or credentials relevant to the applicant's qualifications must be submitted with the form. The deadline to submit a nomination form is noon December 23.
 
Public interviews
 
The nominating commission will convene at 9 a.m. January 17 to interview nominees. The interview location is still to be determined.
 
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
 
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 9th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Melissa Standridge as the nonvoting chair; Brian Bina, Ann Elliott, David O’Dell, and Glen Snell, McPherson; Thomas Adrian, Jana Mckinney, John Robb, and George “Chip” Westfall, Newton.