8 September 2016

ST. LOUIS – The Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Jay Nixon to fill the associate circuit judge vacancy in St. Louis County created by the appointment of Judge Joseph Dueker as circuit judge.

Those nominated by the commission are:

Mondonna L. Ghasedi – Ghasedi graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1996 and from University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 1999. She is currently an attorney at The Ghasedi Law Firm.

Amanda B. McNelley – McNelley graduated from St. Louis University in 1998 and from Washburn University School of Law in 2002. She is currently an attorney at Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard PC.

Nicole S. Zellweger – Zellweger graduated from University of Georgia in 1999, Yale University with a masters degree in 2001 and from Washington University School of Law in 2004. She is currently an attorney at Stinson Leonard Street.

The commission conducted one day of public hearings and interviewed 33 applicants. The commission believes that these candidates, chosen from a field of extremely qualified individuals, possess those qualities essential to the fair and efficient administration of justice. The commission is confident that all of these individuals are capable of serving well and honorably if selected by the governor. Pursuant to Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 10.29, the commission reports the final votes received by each nominee were: Ghasedi received five votes, McNelley received three votes, and Zellweger received four votes. 

The members of the Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission are: Judge Philip M. Hess, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District; Matthew J. Rossiter, Rev. Anthony Witherspoon, Christy Bertelson and Jeffrey D. Sigmund.

Note: Links to nominees' applications typically are disabled after the governor makes his appointment.

Contact: Laura Roy, clerk

Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District

(314) 539-4300