TOPEKA—The 4th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene by conference call at 1:30 p.m. Friday, January 26, to set the schedule to fill a district magistrate judge vacancy.

The vacancy will be created by District Magistrate Judge Kevin Kimball’s March 1 retirement.

The 4th Judicial District is composed of Anderson, Coffey, Franklin, and Osage counties.

Public access

The meeting is open to the public. To listen:

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 magistrate judge appointment process

The nominating commission seeks nominations and then meets to interview nominees. Interviews are open to the public. The commission selects who is appointed to fill the district magistrate judge vacancy.

A nominee for district magistrate judge must be:

• a resident of Franklin 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.

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 4th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Eric S. Rosen as the nonvoting chair; Craig Cole, Garnett; Anthony Mersman, Greeley; Phyllis Gardner and Janet Walsh, Lyndon; Ianne Dickinson and Forrest Lowry, Ottawa; John Boyd, Pomona; and Timothy Johnson, Waverly.