30th Judicial District Nominating Commission seeks nominees for district magistrate judge vacancy

TOPEKA—The 30th Judicial District Nominating Commission is seeking nominations to fill a district magistrate judge vacancy in Kingman County.

This vacancy will be created when District Magistrate Judge Ronald Sylvester retires.

The 30th Judicial District is composed of Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, and Sumner counties.

Justice Melissa Standridge, the Supreme Court departmental justice responsible for the 30th 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

Kansas law requires that the district magistrate judge be:

• a resident of Kingman 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 given by the Supreme Court to become certified within 18 months.

The commission selects who is appointed to fill the district magistrate judge vacancy.

Nomination process

Nominations must be accompanied by a nomination form available from the clerk of the district court in Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, and Sumner counties, the clerk of the appellate courts in the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, or online at kscourts.gov/judge/vacancies. 

In lieu of submitting paper copies, the commission asks that nominees submit the nomination form and attachments electronically as instructed on the nomination form to jdnc.nominationform@kscourts.gov. Other information or credentials relevant to the nominee's qualifications must be submitted with the form. The deadline to submit nomination form is noon Monday, April 14.

Public interviews

The nominating commission will convene at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 6, to interview nominees.   Interviews are open to the public and will take place at:

The Hangar
126 N. Main St.
Kingman, Kansas 67068

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, preferably 10 working days before the event.

ADA Coordinator
ADA@kscourts.gov 
785-296-2256
TTY at 711

Term of office

After serving one year in office, the new district magistrate 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 30th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Melissa Standridge as the nonvoting chair; Troy Dierking, Caldwell; Sidney Burkholder, Harper; Lance Dixon and Gregory Graffman, Kingman; Justin Goodno, Kiowa; Hannah Brass, Medicine Lodge; Tracey Beverlin and Jason Kirk Roberts, Pratt; J.C. Long and Douglas Pfalzgraf, Wellington.