13 March 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Laura Denvir Stith, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri and chair of the Appellate Judicial Commission, announced today that the commission has submitted to Gov. Jay Nixon its panel of nominees to fill the first of three vacancies on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. This first vacancy exists due to the January 15 resignation of Judge Ronald R. Holliger, who has returned to the practice of law.

In alphabetical order, the panel consists of the Honorable Jacqueline A. Cook, Cynthia L. Reams Martin and Mark D. Pfeiffer.

Cook is the presiding judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit (Cass and Johnson counties). She was born  August 1958. She earned her bachelor of science degree in history in 1980 from Central Missouri State University (now the University of Central Missouri) in Warrensburg, her master’s degree in history in 1989 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and her law degree in 1989 from UMKC. Cook lives in Belton.

Martin is in the solo practice of law in Lee’s Summit. She was born in July 1959. She earned bachelor of arts degrees in communications and psychology, summa cum laude, in 1981 from William Jewell College in Liberty and her law degree in 1984 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, where she was valedictorian. Martin lives in Lee's Summit.

Pfeiffer is a shareholder in the Columbia law firm of Bley & Pfeiffer PC. He was born in May 1967. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in accounting, magna cum laude, in 1989 from Westminster College in Fulton, and his law degree in 1991 from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Pfeiffer lives in Columbia.

The governor has 60 days to select one member of the panel to fill the vacancy. If he should fail to do so, the Missouri Constitution directs the commission to make the appointment.

Once this vacancy has been filled, the commission will meet to select, from the same applicant pool, a second panel of three nominees to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Paul M. Spinden. Following the governor's selection of one of the nominees from the second panel, the commission will meet a third time to select, again from the same applicant pool, a third panel of three nominees for the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Joseph P. Dandurand. As the commission does not know the date the governor will select a nominee from the first panel of nominees, it cannot announce the date for the commission's meetings to select the second and third panels at this time. It will do so as soon as feasible following the governor's selections.

Note: The governor appointed Mark Pfeiffer to fill this vacancy.

Note: Links to nominees' application materials typically are disabled after the governor makes his appointment.

Contact: Beth S. Riggert

Communications Counsel

Supreme Court of Missouri

(573) 751-3676