20 December 2019

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 10.28(d), the Sixteenth Circuit Judicial Commission announces the following demographic information relating to applicants for the Division 27 vacancy on the Jackson County circuit court created by the retirement of Judge Gregory B. Gillis on December 31, 2019.

There are 14 applicants for the vacancy. Ten of the applicants are women, and four are men. There are three minority applicants. Four applicants work in the private sector; 10 work in the public sector. The applicants’ average age is 42.9 years.

When it announced the Gillis vacancy in Division 27, the commission noted it would consider all applicants for the associate circuit judge vacancy in Division 26, created by the appointment of Judge Cory L. Atkins as circuit judge in Division 17, for the Gillis vacancy as well, although additional applications were welcome. From among the nominees, Governor Michael L. Parson on December 18 appointed R. Travis Willingham to fill the Division 26 vacancy. The remaining applicants for that vacancy – along with the one additional individual who applied – will be considered for the Gillis vacancy.

Also pursuant to Rule 10.28(d), the commission announces it will meet at 9:30 a.m. Monday, January 6, 2020, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, at 1300 Oak Street in Kansas City, Missouri, to interview the additional applicant: Theresa E. Crayon. The public may attend and observe the interview. The commission will not conduct additional interviews for applicants who interviewed November 22 for the Atkins vacancy. Immediately after the interview, the commission will select three nominees to send to the governor. Governor Parson will have 60 days to appoint one of the three nominees as associate circuit judge in Division 27.


Contact: Susan C. Sonnenberg, clerk of court
Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District
(816) 889-3600
susan.sonnenberg@courts.mo.gov