17 January 2020
ST. LOUIS – George W. Draper III, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri and chair of the Appellate Judicial Commission, announces the commission today submitted to Governor Michael L. Parson its panel of nominees to fill the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. This vacancy exists due to the September 2019 retirement of Judge Lawrence E. Mooney.
The commission unanimously supports the three nominees. After nearly 6.5 hours of public interviews, approximately two hours of deliberations and seven rounds of balloting, the nominees are Michael E. Gardner, Jeffery T. McPherson and Michael W. Noble.
Gardner is presiding judge of the 32nd Judicial Circuit (Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry counties). He was born in 1979 and resides in Cape Girardeau. He earned his bachelor of arts in political science in 2001 and his law degree, cum laude, in 2004, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He received seven votes.
McPherson is a partner at Armstrong Teasdale LLP in St. Louis. He was born in 1965 and resides in Webster Groves. He earned his bachelor of arts in English in 1990 from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and his law degree, magna cum laude, in 1994 from Saint Louis University School of Law. He received seven votes.
Noble is a circuit judge in the 22nd Judicial Circuit (St. Louis city). He was born in 1966 and resides in St. Louis. He earned his bachelor of science in general engineering in 1988 from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, and his law degree in 2004 from Saint Louis University School of Law. He received seven votes.
The governor has 60 days to select one member of the panel to fill the vacancy. Should he fail to do so, the Missouri Constitution directs the commission to make the appointment.
In addition to Draper, the commission is composed of Michelle Beckler of Marshfield, Scott S. Bethune of Kansas City, Neil Chanter of Springfield, Timothy M. Drury of St. Louis, Thomas K. Neill of St. Louis and Kathy Ritter of Columbia.
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Note: The governor on February 14, 2020, appointed Michael Gardner to fill this vacancy.
Note: Links to nominees' applications typically are disabled after the governor makes his appointment.
Contact: Beth S. Riggert
Communications Counsel
Supreme Court of Missouri
Cell (573) 864-1966