6th Judicial District Nominating Commission to review nominations for district judge vacancy

TOPEKA—The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene by telephone conference at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, to review nominations for a district judge vacancy created by Judge Steven Montgomery’s July 3 retirement. 
  
The 6th Judicial District is composed of Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties.
 
Public access 
 
The meeting is open to the public. To listen: 

• call 1-845-361-8917

• enter guest passcode 3872788#   

Interviews are scheduled at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 5, and are open to the public. They will take place at: 
 
Linn County Justice Center 
308 Main St
Mound City, KS 
 
The interview schedule will be announced once it’s finalized.   
 
The nominees are: 

• John Bullard, Columbus, municipal judge, Bourbon and Cherokee counties

• Burton Harding, Mound City, county attorney, Linn County

• Valorie Leblanc, Fort Scott, district magistrate judge, Bourbon County

• Sarah Stewart, Spring Hill, city prosecutor, City of Lenexa Legal Department

• Terra Tecchio-Baseley, Fort Scott, contract attorney, criminal defense, Baseley Law Office, Bourbon and Linn counties

• Shelley Woodard, Paola, county counselor, Miami County
   

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 
 
Eligibility requirements 
 
To be considered for a 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.

Nominees who do not live in the district should be aware of K.S.A. 20-2909(b) and K.S.A. 20-301b; 20-331. Before the nominating commission considers nominees who live outside the judicial district, it will determine if there are at least three nominees deemed qualified to fill the position who live in the judicial district and are willing to accept the nomination to fill a district judge vacancy.

The nominating 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. 
Kansas statute requires one resident judge per county. This mandate may affect residency requirements. 
 
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 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Evelyn Wilson as the nonvoting chair; Mark McCoy and Zackery Reynolds, Fort Scott; Patton Apple and Ronald Wood, Louisburg; Todd Schneider, Mound City; and Mary Stephenson, Paola.