10 December 2007

The St. Louis County Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Blunt to fill the vacancy on the St. Louis County Circuit Court created by the retirement of Judge Emmett M. O'Brien.

Those nominated by the commission are Mary Elizabeth Ott, Thomas J. Plunkert and the Honorable Ellen Levy Siwak.

Ott is a sole practitioner in private practice in St. Louis County. Her practice focuses on criminal defense and family law, at the trial and appellate court levels, in both the State and Federal systems. Ott received her law degree in 1985 from St. Louis University School of Law and her bachelor of arts in 1982 from St. Mary's College. 

Plunkert is a lifelong resident of St. Louis. He attended St. Louis Priory and St. Louis University School of Law. He has practiced in the area of civil litigation for more than 30 years. He has served on The Missouri Bar board of governors and on statewide commissions and committees. He is married and has two children.

Siwak has served as an associate circuit judge presiding in Division 38 of the St. Louis County Circuit Court since May 2002. In addition to her current criminal docket, she served in civil, equitable and family court assignments. Prior to her appointment, Siwak served as a family court commissioner in Division 63 of the St. Louis County family court for three years. Siwak was formerly a partner at Rosenblum, Goldenhersh, Silverstein & Zafft in the litigation department, where her practice focused on commercial, civil and domestic litigation. Siwak received her law degree in May 1988 from Washington University. Siwak recently served as president of the Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges and president of the St. Louis County directors of the National Association of Women Judges. Siwak is a frequent lecturer and has served on the faculty of the Missouri State Judicial College and judicial orientation programs. She resides in St. Louis County with her family and is an active community volunteer.

The commission believes that these candidates chosen from a field of extremely qualified individuals possess those qualities of compassion, intellect and high moral purpose essential to the fair and efficient administration of justice. Each of these people have that trial experience and sense of fairness that the commission knows is required to administer justice to the people of the St. Louis County and the State of Missouri and proudly presents these names to Governor Blunt for his ultimate decision. The commission is confident that all of these individuals are capable of serving well and honorably if selected by the governor.

The members of the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit Commission are: Chief Judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District Patricia L. Cohen, Debbie Champion, Patrick Dudley, Gerard Noce and Laurie Westfall.

Contact: Laura Roy, clerk of court

Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District

(314) 539-4300