4th Judicial District Nominating Commission seeks nominees for district magistrate judge position

TOPEKA—The 4th Judicial District Nominating Commission is seeking nominations to fill a new district magistrate judge position in Coffey County. 
 
The new district magistrate judge position was among several new judge posts certified by Supreme Court Administrative Order 2022-JA-020 after the Kansas Legislature passed and the governor signed 2022 House Substitute for Substitute for Senate Bill No. 267 to fund them. The annual salary for the position of district magistrate is $76,601. 
 
The 4th Judicial District is composed of Anderson, Coffey, Franklin, and Osage counties. 
 
Justice Eric S. Rosen, the Supreme Court departmental justice responsible for the 4th Judicial District, said individuals can apply or be nominated, but nominations must come on a nomination form and include the nominee's signature. 

Eligibility requirements 
  
A nominee for district magistrate judge must be: 

• a resident of Coffey 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 to become certified within 18 months. 

Nomination process 
 
Nominations must be accompanied by a nomination form available from the clerk of the district court in Anderson, Coffey, Franklin, and Osage counties, clerk of the appellate courts in the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, or online at www.kscourts.org/Judges/Become-a-Judge. 
 
Nominations must be submitted by paper copy. The deadline to submit a nomination with supporting documents is noon Tuesday, August 2. No documents will be accepted digitally or by fax.  
 
Submissions require one original and nine copies of the completed nomination form, a like number of supporting documents, and one executed release form, sent to: 
 
John Boyd, Secretary 
4th Judicial District Nominating Commission 
101 W 2nd Street 
Ottawa, KS 66067 
 
Public interviews and appointment  
 
The nominating commission will convene to interview nominees at 9 a.m. Tuesday, August 16, with interviews starting at 9:30 a.m. Interviews will be in Coffey County and are open to the public. The commission will then appoint a district magistrate judge. 

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  
 
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 4th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Eric S. Rosen as the nonvoting chair; Craig Cole, Garnett; Anthony Mersman, Greeley; Phyllis Gardner and Janet Walsh, Lyndon; Ianne Dickinson and Forrest Lowry, Ottawa; John Boyd, Pomona; and Timothy Johnson, Waverly.