21st Judicial District Nominating Commission to interview nominees for vacancy

TOPEKA—The 21st Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene July 24 to interview seven nominees to fill a district judge vacancy in Riley County created by the June 16 retirement of Chief Judge Meryl Wilson.

The commission will meet at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 24, in the Riley County Courthouse, 100 Courthouse Plaza, Manhattan. Interviews are open to the public.

The 21st Judicial District is composed of Clay and Riley counties.

The nominees are:

• Amy J. Bipes, Manhattan, legal assistance lawyer, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Fort Riley;

• Cole A. Hawver, Manhattan, chief public defender, North Central Regional Public Defender’s Office, Junction City;

• James R. Kepple, Manhattan, Riley County district magistrate judge, 21st Judicial District;

• Kendra Spaeth Lewison, Manhattan, assistant county attorney, Riley County;

• Matthew James Richter, Manhattan, city prosecutor, Manhattan Municipal Court;

• Steven Michael Roth, Topeka, administrative law judge, Kansas Department of Labor, Division of Workers Compensation; and

• Phylemon Chuen-Man Yau, Manhattan, lawyer, State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services.

The commission will select from three to five nominees whose names will be submitted to the governor to fill the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements. If there are not three nominees who reside in the judicial district who are deemed qualified by the commission, the commission may consider nominees who reside outside the district. The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint.

After serving one year in office, the 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.

Nominees for district judge 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.

The 21st Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Supreme Court Justice Marla Luckert as the nonvoting chair; Kyle Bauer and Steven McMahan, Clay Center; Steven Hargrave, Randolph; and William Bahr, Johanna Lyle, James Morrison, Derrick Roberson, and Kitra Schartz, Manhattan.