6 March 2019
ST. LOUIS – The Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Michael L. Parson to fill the associate circuit judge vacancy in St. Louis County created by the end of term for Judge Judy P. Draper. Those nominated by the commission are:
Virginia W. Lay – Lay graduated from Columbia University in 1990 and from Washington University School of Law in 1993. She is currently a special assistant prosecutor and an adjunct professor at Washington University School of Law.
Amanda B. McNelley – McNelley graduated from Saint Louis University in 1998 and from Washburn University School of Law in 2002. She is currently an attorney at the Sandburg, Phoenix & von Gontard PC law firm.
D. Kimberly Whittle – Whittle graduated from Maryville University in 1988 and Saint Louis University School of Law in 1991. She is currently an attorney for the Law Office of D. Kimberly Whittle.
Amanda B. McNelley – McNelley graduated from Saint Louis University in 1998 and from Washburn University School of Law in 2002. She is currently an attorney at the Sandburg, Phoenix & von Gontard PC law firm.
D. Kimberly Whittle – Whittle graduated from Maryville University in 1988 and Saint Louis University School of Law in 1991. She is currently an attorney for the Law Office of D. Kimberly Whittle.
The commission conducted two days of public hearings and interviewed 30 applicants. The commission believes 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 all of these individuals are capable of serving well and honorably if selected by the governor. Pursuant to Missouri Supreme Court Rule 10.29, the Commission reports the final votes received by each nominee were: Lay received five votes, McNelley received three votes, and Whittle received three votes.
The members of the Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission are: Lisa P. Page, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, and chairman of the Commission; Tiffany Mapp Franklin, William P. Grant, Al Koller III and Jeffrey D. Sigmund.
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Update: The governor on April 2, 2019, appointed Virginia Lay to fill this vacancy.
Note: Links to nominees' applications typically are disabled after the governor makes his appointment.
Contact: Laura Roy, clerk of court
Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District(314) 539-4300