2nd Judicial District Nominating Commission seeks nominees for district magistrate judge vacancy

TOPEKA—The 2nd Judicial District Nominating Commission is seeking nominations to fill a district magistrate judge vacancy in Jefferson County that will be created when District Magistrate Judge Dennis Reiling retires at the end of his term.

The 2nd Judicial District is composed of Jackson, Jefferson, Pottawatomie, and Wabaunsee counties.

Justice Caleb Stegall, the Supreme Court departmental justice responsible for the 2nd Judicial District, said individuals can apply or be nominated, but nominations must come on a nomination form and include the nominee's signature.

The annual salary for a district magistrate position in 2024 is $76,601. The annual salary is expected to increase by 25% on January 1, 2025.

Eligibility requirements

Kansas law requires that the district magistrate judge be:

• a resident of Jefferson 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 Jackson, Jefferson, Pottawatomie, and Wabaunsee counties, the clerk of the appellate courts in the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, or online at www.kscourts.org/judge/vacancies. 

Nominations may be submitted electronically or by paper copy. The deadline to submit a nomination with supporting documents is noon Tuesday, November 5.

Paper submissions require one original and nine copies of the completed nomination form, a like number of supporting documents, and one executed release form to be delivered to:

Justice Caleb Stegall, chair
2nd Judicial District Nominating Commission
301 SW 10th Ave.
Topeka, KS 66612-1507

In lieu of submitting paper copies, the nominee may submit one copy of the form and attachments electronically as instructed on the nomination form to jdnc.nominationform@kscourts.org. 

Public interviews

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

Jefferson County Courthouse
300 Jefferson Street
Oskaloosa

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 2nd Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Caleb Stegall as the nonvoting chair; David Allen, Circleville; J. Richard Lake, Holton; Max Fuller, Maple Hill; Candace Braksick, McLouth; Joshua Ney, Oskaloosa; and Jacob Pugh, Gene Scherer, and John Watt, Wamego.

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