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Content date: 02/25/2009

21st Judicial Commission announces panel of nominees to fill Wiesman vacancy




TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COMMISSION


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
25 February 2009


ST. LOUIS – The Twenty-First Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Nixon to fill the vacancy on the Circuit Court of the St. Louis County created by the retirement of Judge Melvyn W. Wiesman.

Those nominated by the Commission are:

Hon. Gloria Clark Reno – Judge Gloria Clark Reno is an Associate Circuit Judge in the 21st Judicial Circuit, St. Louis, Missouri, she currently presides over an Associate Civil/Equity docket. Prior to her current assignment, Judge Reno has handled Family Court and Criminal docket as an Associate Circuit Judge in St. Louis County.

She is a member of the Missouri Supreme Court Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Domestic Relations Cases, and has been a presenter at the Annual Missouri Judicial College.

After her appointment to the bench, Judge Reno volunteered as a Truancy Court Judge in the St. Louis County Truancy Court Program (a program to encourage school attendance).

Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Reno was a member of The Hale Law Firm. Her experience covered all phases of civil, and criminal litigations, at the state and federal levels. Judge Reno also has experience in appellate practice having, written briefs and argued cases before the Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri and Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge Reno served as the Municipal Judge for the City of Northwood in St. Louis County, Missouri from January, 1994 to March, 2002, when she was appointed to the St. Louis County Circuit Court an Associate Circuit Judge.

She received her Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law in 1986, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Missouri- St. Louis. A former educator, Judge Reno has served as a mentor and instructor to high school and college students.
Judge Reno is a member of the Missouri Bar, the Mound City Bar Association, the Women’s Lawyers Association, and the Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges. She is a member of the board of the Cardinal Ritter Institute for Seniors a public service organization as well as other civic and public service organizations.

Hon. Douglas Beach –Douglas R. Beach was appointed by Governor Matt Blutt as Associate Circuit Court Judge for St. Louis County Missouri in 2005. Judge Beach graduated from Central Conn. State University in 1970, received his law degree from New England School of Law (Cum Laude) in 1973. He retired from the United States Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel were he served as Judge Advocate.

He was in the private practice law in St. Louis being named in the Best Lawyers of America publication for 10 consecutive years. Was an incorporator of the City of Chesterfield in 1988 and served as the City Attorney for 17 ˝ years before his appointment to the bench. Judge Beach as been assigned to the Family Court since he was appointed in 2005. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a frequent lecturer on Family law and other legal topics.

Thomas J. Plunkert – Thomas Plunkert is a life-long resident of St. Louis. He attended St. Louis Priory and St. Louis University School of Law. He has practiced in the area of civil litigation for over 30 years. He has served on the Missouri Bar Board of Governors and on statewide commissions and committees. He is married and has two children.

The Commission believes that these candidates chosen from a field of extremely qualified individuals possess those qualities of compassion, intellect and high moral purpose essential to the fair and efficient administration of justice. Each of these people have that trial experience and sense of fairness that the Commission knows is required to administer justice to the people of the City of St. Louis and the State of Missouri and proudly presents these names to Governor Nixon for his ultimate decision. The Commission is confident that all of these individuals are capable of serving well and honorably if selected by the Governor.

The members of the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit Commission are: Chief Judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals Nannette A. Baker, Debbie Champion, Patrick Dudley, Gerard Noce and Laurie Westfall.


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Contact: Laura Roy
(314)539-4300



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