TOPEKA—The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission is seeking nominations to fill a district judge vacancy.
The vacancy will be created when District Judge Mark Ward retires October 9.
The 6th Judicial District is composed of Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties.
Justice Larkin Walsh, the Supreme Court departmental justice responsible for the 6th Judicial District, said individuals can apply or be nominated, but nominations must come on an application form and include the nominee’s signature.
Eligibility requirements
To be considered for 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.
Nomination process
Nominations must be accompanied by an application form available from the clerk of the district court in Bourbon, Linn, or Miami counties, the clerk of the appellate courts in the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, or online at kscourts.gov/judge/vacancies.
The commission asks that nominees submit the application form, attachments, and any other information or credentials relevant to the nominee’s qualifications electronically as instructed on the nomination form to jdnc.nominationform@kscourts.gov.
The deadline to submit a nomination with supporting documents is noon Thursday, October 1.
Public interviews
Interviews are open to the public and will be October 27 in Linn County.
Accommodation
Any person with a disability who requires accommodation to access the nominating commission meetings should notify the judicial branch ADA coordinator as early as possible:
ADA Coordinator
ADA@kscourts.gov
785-296-2256
TTY at 711
Appointment process
The nominating commission seeks nominations and then meets to interview the nominees. Interviews are open to the public. The 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.
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 Larkin Walsh 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.