3rd Judicial District Nominating Commission to interview candidates for district judge in Topeka

TOPEKA—The 3rd Judicial District Nominating Commission will interview the nine attorneys who applied to fill a district court vacancy in Shawnee County created by the June 2017 retirement of District Judge Rebecca W. Crotty.

The candidates are:

• Jay D. Befort, Topeka

• Lee J. Davidson, Topeka

• Darian P. Dernovish, Topeka

• Jessica G. Domme, Tecumseh

• Jason "Jake" K. Fisher, Silver Lake

• Jason E. Geier, Topeka

• Derenda J. Mitchell, Topeka

• Kelly J. Trussell, Topeka

• John Paul D. Washburn, Topeka

The nominating commission will convene at 9 a.m. Monday, June 19, 2017, in the Shawnee County Courthouse in Topeka to interview the candidates. Interviews are open to the public. When the interviews conclude, the commission will select three to five candidates whose names will be submitted to the governor, who will decide whom to appoint.

Candidates for district judge must be a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and have been 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. The candidate also must be a resident of Shawnee County at the time of taking office and maintain that residency while holding office.

The 3rd Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Marla J. Luckert of the Kansas Supreme Court as the nonvoting chair; Terry E. Beck, Daniel W. Crow, Thomas G. Lemon, Jolene C. Miller, and W. Eric Stafford, all of Topeka; and Toby L. McCullough of Rossville.