11th Judicial District Nominating Commission to meet June 20

TOPEKA—The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene at 9 a.m. Friday, June 20, to interview nominees to fill a district judge vacancy.

This vacancy was created when Judge Lori Bolton Fleming’s appointment to the Kansas Court of Appeals was confirmed by the Kansas Senate.

The 11th Judicial District is composed of Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette counties.

Interview schedule

9:30 a.m.
John Mazurek, Pittsburg, The Mazurek Law Office

10 a.m.
Terra Tecchio-Baseley, Fort Scott, Tecchio Consulting LLC

10:30 a.m.
Break

10:45 a.m.
Sarah Elnicki, Pittsburg, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

11:15 a.m.
Mandy Johnson, Pittsburg, Labette County Attorney's Office

Public Interviews

The interviews are open to the public and will take place at: 
 
Law Library
Crawford County Judicial Center
602 N. Locust 
Pittsburg

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
[email protected]
785-296-2256

District judge appointment process

The nominating commission seeks nominations and then meets to conduct interviews. Interviews are open to the public. The commission selects three to five people whose names are 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.

Eligibility requirements  

To be considered for district judge, a nominee 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.

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 Eric S. Rosen as the nonvoting chair; Michael Gayoso Jr., Baxter Springs; John Lehman, Girard; Shane Adamson and Dennis Dodd, Parsons; Sara Beezley, Pittsburg; and Angela Rippel, Scammon.