15 December 2010

S. LOUIS — The Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon to fill the circuit judge vacancy on the St. Louis County circuit court created by the retirement of Judge John Kintz. Those nominated by the commission are below.

Bruce F. Hilton is a managing partner at the Kirkwood law firm of Hilton, Harford & Edmonds LLC. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from in 1980 and his law degree in 1986, both from Saint Louis University.

The Honorable Thea A. Sherry has served as an associate circuit judge of the 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County) since 1998. She has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of California-Riverside and law degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Thomas Weaver is a partner with the law firm of Armstrong Teasdale LLP in St. Louis. He earned his bachelor's degree, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in English in 1974 from Duke University and his law degree, magna cum laude, in 1978 from Saint Louis University School of Law.

The commission believes that these candidates chosen from a field of extremely qualified individuals possess those qualities essential to the fair and efficient administration of justice. The commission is confident that all of these individuals are capable of serving well and honorably if selected by the governor. Each nominee received four votes.

The members of the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit Commission are: Judge Roy L. Richter, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District; Debbie Champion; Patrick Dudley; Laurie Westfall and Richard Wuestling IV.

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

Contact: Laura Roy, (314) 539-4300