17 October 2025
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Pursuant to Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 10.28(d), the Sixteenth Circuit Judicial Commission announces the following demographic information relating to applicants for the circuit judge vacancies in Divisions 6 and 7 of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit (Jackson County) created by the retirements of Judge S. Margene Burnette and Judge J. Dale Youngs.
There are nine applicants, of whom four indicate they are female and five indicate they are male. Three applicants report being a minority. Four applicants work in the private sector and five work in the public sector. The average age of the applicants is 42.1 years.
Pursuant to Rule 10.28(d), the commission announces it will interview all nine applicants:
Nathan M. Atkinson
Jared D. Bustamante
Michelle L. Cocayne
Kaitlin E. Gallen
Ashley N. Garrett
John G. Gromowsky
Daniel F. Portnoy
Angela K. Ravkin
Robert E. Sauls
The commission expects to interview applicants for both the Division 6 and 7 vacancies starting at 8:30 a.m. Monday, November 3, 2025, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, 1300 Oak Street, in Kansas City. Interviews are open to the public, subject to available seating. Interviews will not be available online.
Immediately after the interviews, the commission plans to meet to select the names of three nominees for the Division 7 vacancy to send to the governor. Upon receipt of the nominations, the governor will have 60 days to appoint one of the three nominees as circuit judge in Division 7 of the Jackson County circuit court.
Upon notification of the governor’s appointment of a nominee as circuit judge in Division 7, the commission will select a second panel of three nominees as circuit judge in Division 6. Upon receipt of the nominations, the governor will have sixty days to appoint one of the three nominees as circuit judge in Division 6 of the Jackson County Circuit Court.
Members of the commission are Anthony Rex Gabbert, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District; attorneys Jill Kanatzer and Thomas Porto; and lay members Terry Anderson and Doug Cowan.
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Contact Kimberly K. Boeding, clerk of the court
Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District
(816) 889-3600