11th Judicial District Nominating Commission to interview nominees for Labette County district judge

TOPEKA—The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene January 10 to interview nine nominees to fill a district judge position in Labette County created by the January 2 retirement of Judge Jeffry Jack.

The commission will meet at 9 a.m. Friday, January 10, at the Judicial Center, 201 S. Central, Parsons. Interviews are open to the public.

The 11th Judicial District is composed of Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette counties.

The nominees, their scheduled interview times, and current professions are:

• 9:40 a.m.—William S. Adamson, Parsons, private practice lawyer

• 10 a.m.—Nathan R. Coleman, Joplin, Missouri, deputy county attorney for Cherokee County

• 10:20 a.m.—Maradeth L. Frederick, Mulberry, private practice lawyer

• 10:40 a.m.—Stephen P. Jones, Altamont, county attorney for Labette County

• 11 a.m.—Valorie R. Leblanc, Fort Scott, Bourbon County district magistrate judge

• 11:30 a.m.—Break

• 12:30 p.m.—Samuel Marsh, Columbus, Cherokee County district magistrate judge

• 12:50 p.m.—John G. Mazurek, Pittsburg, private practice lawyer

• 1:10 p.m.—Steven A. Stockard, Pittsburg, private practice lawyer

• 1:30 p.m.—Terra Tecchio, Fort Scott, private practice lawyer

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 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Caleb Stegall as the temporary, nonvoting chair; District Judge Oliver Lynch, Baxter Springs; John Lehman, Girard; James Cook and David Markham, Parsons; Sara Beezley, Pittsburg; and Angela Rippel, Scammon.