By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 4:46 PM
Governor Matt Blunt will soon choose from among three members of the Missouri Court of Appeals for his first appointment to the Missouri Supreme Court. Labels: Appointments, Governor, Supreme_Court
The Appellate Judicial Commission selected the finalists from among 30 applicants to replace Ronnie White, who recently resigned from the court to go into private practice.
The finalists are Judge Nannette Baker of the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District and Western District Judges Patricia Breckenridge and Ronald Holliger. Baker and Holliger were both appointed to their current posts by Democratic governors while Breckenridge is a Republican appointee.
White was the first and only black member of the state high court. Baker is the lone African-American among the finalists. Blunt has 60 days to make his selection. If he fails to do so, the commission will make the appointment.
UPDATE: Blunt's office today requested information on all the applicants. Here's the press release...
Gov. Matt Blunt’s office today requested any transcripts, notes and information gathered by the Appellate Judicial Commission as they narrowed a field of 30 applicants to a three member panel. The request is part of the exhaustive process in motion to learn more about and evaluate the legal work of the three names submitted to the governor as candidates for the Missouri Supreme Court.
“As you might imagine, details from these interviews will be very helpful to our office as we begin our own exhaustive interview process,” wrote Henry Herschel, General Counsel for the governor in a letter. “I am sure you will agree that any interview transcripts, audio recordings, notes, format, length and any additional information from these interviews will be helpful to us as the governor prepares to make this important decision.”
The office has requested:
The governor’s office acknowledged receipt of the applications submitted by the three candidates, but noted it did not include this information. Once the governor’s office receives the documents, they will compile this information with all available records, research and communications to aide the governor in making his final decision.
In Missouri, the governor does not appoint a judge to the Supreme Court from citizens at large. Instead an Appellate Judicial Commission, made up of the presiding chief justice, three lawyers chosen by the Missouri Bar and three people appointed by governors, selects a panel of three candidates. Gov. Blunt has appointed only one of the three commissioners, and the others were appointed by former Gov. Bob Holden. The governor has 60 days to evaluate the three nominated candidates to the Supreme Court.
2 Comments:
Missouri needs to maintain a balanced, nonpartisan Supreme Court that is representative of ALL its citizens, not just those of the western side of the state. The best choice to replace Ronnie White is Nannette Baker, whose experience has honed her into a respected jurist of great integrity, fairness, diligence, and compassion. Write Gov. Blunt TODAY and urge him to appoint Judge Baker to this important position. Your letters are read and considered by the Governor's staff; know that the other candidates will mobilize their friends and allies to write the governor on their behalf. Let your voice in support of a fair, honest, representative, and progressive Court for our State, or we shall surely live to regret it.
7/27/2007 10:31 PM
Although it doesn't matter to me where in Missouri a candidate comes from, it should be pointed out that 4 of the 6 sitting members of the Supreme Court are from the eastern side of the state. Therefore, choosing a judge from the western side will not make the court any less representative of all citizens. In fact, it will bring geographic balance to the court and, by the last poster's rationale, actually make the supreme court more representative of all missouri citizens.
8/01/2007 11:39 PM
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