TOPEKA—The 31st Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene at 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 9, to interview nominees for a district judge position.

The new district judge position was among several 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 31st Judicial District is composed of Allen, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties. 

Interview schedule  
 
9:30 a.m.  

Tod Davis, Iola, district magistrate judge, 31st Judicial District  

10 a.m.  

Dennis Depew, Neodesha, deputy attorney general, Kansas Attorney General’s Office 

10:30 a.m.  

Thomas Mikulka, Yates Center, district magistrate judge, 31st Judicial District 

Public access  

Interviews are open to the public. They will take place at:  

Woodson County Courthouse  

105 W Rutledge 

Yates Center, KS  

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  

District judge appointment process  
 
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.  

The nominating 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 31st Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Evelyn Wilson as the nonvoting chair; Richard Pringle, Chanute; Nancy Burns and John Chenoweth, Fredonia; Douglas Depew, Neodesha; Craig Mentzer, Neosho Falls; Shelia Lampe, Piqua; Donald Greg Taylor, Stark; Zelda Schlotterbeck, Yates Center.