TOPEKA—The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene at 9 a.m. Wednesday, October 5, to interview nominees to fill two new district judge posts.  
 
The district judge posts were 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 6th Judicial District is composed of Miami, Linn, and Bourbon counties. 
 
Public interviews 
 
Interviews are open to the public. They will take place at:  
   
Linn County Courthouse  
318 Chestnut St. 
Mound City, KS 66056 
   
The interview schedule will be announced once it’s finalized.    
  
The nominees: 

• Amy Coppola Crawford, Milford, district magistrate judge, 8th Judicial District 
   

• Richard Fisher Jr., Osawatomie, attorney 
   

• Valorie Leblanc, Fort Scott, district magistrate judge, 6th Judicial District 
   

• Jacklyn Pasquale Paletta, Paola, partner, Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho PLC
   

• Elizabeth Sweeney-Reeder, Paola, Miami County attorney
   

• Terra Tecchio, Fort Scott, Bourbon County contract attorney, criminal defense
   

• Shelley Woodard, Lawrence, Miami County counselor 

 
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 
  
A nominee 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. 

Nominees to governor 
 
The nominating commission will select three to five people whose names will be submitted to the governor to fill these positions according to statutory qualification and residency requirements. The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint. 
 
If there are not sufficient nominees who reside in the judicial district who are deemed qualified by the commission, the commission may consider nominees who reside outside the district. 
 
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; Patton Apple, Louisburg; Mark McCoy and Zackery Reynolds, Fort Scott; Todd Schneider, Mound City; Mary Stephenson, Paola; and Ronald Wood, Louisburg.