TOPEKA—The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission is seeking candidates to fill a judge vacancy in the 6th Judicial District created by the January 2015 retirement of Chief Judge Richard “Dick” Smith.
The vacancy will be in Division 2 in Linn County.
A judge must reside in the district, be at least 30 years old, have actively practiced law for at least five years, and be admitted to practice law in Kansas.
Applications must be made on a nomination form available from the clerk’s office in each of the district’s courts: Bourbon County District Court in Fort Scott; Linn County District Court in Mound City; and Miami District Court in Paola. The form is also available from the commission chairman’s office at smithb@kscourts.org, the clerk of the appellate courts at the Judicial Center in Topeka, and on the Kansas Judicial Branch website.
Completed nomination forms and supporting letters are to be sent to Hon. Lee A. Johnson, Kansas Supreme Court, 301 SW 10th Avenue, Room 388, Topeka, KS 66612-1507, no later than noon Monday, September 22.
The nominating commission will convene October 14 to interview candidates. A time and location for that meeting are not yet set, but it will be open to the public. The commission can adjourn to executive session during the meeting to discuss nominee personal traits.
Kansas law requires the commission to submit at least two names, but not more than three, to the governor, who will choose one to appoint.
Notice of this vacancy was mailed to every attorney in this judicial district by the chairman of the commission.
The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Lee A. Johnson as the nonvoting chair; and Richard M. Fisher Jr., Osawatomie; Alan D. Hurt, Mound City; Blake D. Hudson, Fort Scott; Ronald P. Wood, Louisburg; and Mark McCoy, Fort Scott.