20 June 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Sixteenth Circuit Judicial Commission is accepting applications for the position of circuit judge, Division 17 of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit (Jackson County), beginning June 20, 2019. This position will be created by the upcoming retirement of Judge Jack R. Grate, who is retiring effective October 1, 2019, after 15.5 years of service to Jackson County, the citizens of the state of Missouri, and the legal community. Judge Grate began his legal career as an attorney at Legal Aid. He then moved into private practice with a firm in Independence, where he practiced until becoming a circuit judge in May 2004. Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 10.26, the commission is authorized to nominate candidates to fill a vacancy, which will occur at a definite future date, up to 60 days before the vacancy occurs.

Citizens are encouraged to nominate well-qualified candidates for the commission’s consideration.  Article V, section 21 of the Missouri Constitution requires that a circuit judge be at least 30 years old, licensed to practice law in Missouri, a citizen of the United States for at least 10 years, a qualified voter of Missouri for the three years preceding selection, and a resident of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit for at least one year. Nominations should be submitted to the contact person listed below.


Applications and instructions are available here:


The commission must receive all completed applications for the circuit judge vacancy by 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, 2019.

The commission plans to meet Thursday and Friday, August 8 and 9, 2019, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, 1300 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri, to conduct public interviews of the applicants and to select a panel of three nominees for the vacancy. Thereafter, Governor Michael L. Parson will have 60 days to appoint one of the three nominees as circuit judge in Division 17.

Members of the commission are Karen King Mitchell, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District; attorneys Michael A. Williams and Phyllis Norman; and lay members William C. Gautreaux and Damon Daniel.

Note: Links to application materials typically are disabled after the application deadline passes.