16 January 2014

CLAYTON, Mo. – The Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Jay Nixon to fill the associate circuit judge vacancy on the St. Louis County circuit court created by the retirement of Judge Brenda Stith Loftin. Those nominated by the commission are Kevin Donald Gunn, Annette Llewellyn and Nancy Maurine Watkins.

Gunn, 43, is a shareholder at Polsinelli practicing in the energy and public practice groups. Prior to joining Polsinelli, Gunn was chairman of the Missouri Public Service Commission, regulating all investor-owned utilities. Gunn received his bachelor of arts in political science from American University in 1992 and his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law in 1996. Gunn is married to Amy Gunn and has two children.

Llewellyn, 44, was born in Jamaica, W.I. and grew up in the Bronx, New York. She received her bachelor of science in accounting from Lehman College. She received her law degree from the University of Iowa and has been a litigator since 1998. She currently works as an attorney in the Missouri State Public Defender’s office in the city of St. Louis.

Watkins, 56, is a lifelong resident of St. Louis County. She received her law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and her undergraduate degree from Washington University. She is an attorney with Schuchat, Cook and Werner in St. Louis. She also serves as a commissioner on the Missouri Public Defender Commission and the Sentencing Advisory Commission. She has been a provisional municipal judge for the city of Clayton since 2011. She has three children.

The commission conducted two days of public hearings. 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. The commissioners unanimously supported the candidates.

The members of the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit Commission are: Judge Robert M. Clayton III, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District; Matthew Rossiter, Richard Wuestling IV; Rev. Anthony Witherspoon and Christine Bertelson.

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

Contact: Laura Roy, clerk

Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District

(314) 539-4300