TOPEKA—The 3rd Judicial District Nominating Commission will meet at 9 a.m. Friday, September 23, to interview an additional nominee to fill a district magistrate judge position.  

The nominating commission will interview Duncan Whittier, a Topeka attorney in private practice, at 9:15 a.m. at the Shawnee County Courthouse. The interview is open to the public.  

The new district magistrate judge position was among several certified by 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 3rd Judicial District is Shawnee County.  

Other candidates still under consideration  

In July, the nominating commission interviewed candidates to fill two district magistrate positions, and it appointed Christopher Turner to fill one of them. The commission could not reach consensus on who would fill the second position, so it reopened the nomination process. The candidates interviewed previously who are still under consideration for the position are:  

• Kaitlin Alegria, Topeka, development director-School of Law, Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation  
   

• Kevin Brinker, Berryton, lieutenant, Kansas Highway Patrol
   

• JaLynn Copp, Topeka,
   

• Dennis Jones, Topeka, district judge pro tem, 3rd Judicial District
   

• Anson Tullis, Topeka, staff attorney, Kansas Legal Services
   

• Vicki Yost, Topeka, senior paralegal, City of Topeka
   

• Vicki Zielinski, Topeka, licensed practical nurse, USD. 50
   

ADA 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 meeting date:  
 
ADA Coordinator  
ADA@kscourts.org  
785-296-2256  
TTY at 711  
 
Eligibility requirements  
 
Nominees for district magistrate judge must be:  

• a resident of Shawnee 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 to become certified within 18 months. 

Term of office  
 
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.  
 
Nominating commission  
 
The 3rd Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Caleb Stegall as the nonvoting chair; Toby McCullough, Rossville; and Whitney Casement, Thomas Lemon, Randall Phillips, Rebecca Sanders, and Eric Stafford, Topeka.