13 December 2022

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Pursuant to Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 10.28(d), the 31st Circuit Judicial Commission releases the following information relating to applicants for the circuit judge vacancy in the 31st Judicial Circuit created by the retirement of the Honorable Jason R. Brown. There are 20 applicants, of whom 14 report they are male, six report they are female, and none report they are minority applicants. Eleven applicants presently work in the private sector, and nine applicants presently work in the public sector.

As previously explained, the commission will not re-interview individuals who applied for the Mountjoy and Borthwick vacancies, all of whom were interviewed in November. Also pursuant to Rule 10.28(d), the commission announces it will interview the one new applicant who timely submitted a completed application with all required materials:

Amy S. Westermann

Additionally, the commission announces two applicants for the Mountjoy and Borthwick vacancies have withdrawn their applications from consideration for the Brown and Cordonnier vacancies.

The commission expects conduct the interview for the Brown vacancy starting at 8:30 a.m., Monday, December 19, 2022, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, 300 Hammons Parkway, Springfield, Missouri, in the third-floor courtroom. The public is invited to attend and observe the interview. The commission will meet immediately following the interview on December 19, 2022, to select a panel of three nominees for the governor’s consideration.

After the governor makes his appointment to fill the Brown vacancy, the commission expects to reopen the application process briefly for any additional individuals who wish to be considered for the Cordonnier vacancy and any additional circuit judge vacancies that may be announced before January 31, 2023. The commission anticipates it will interview only new applicants; it does not plan to re-interview those who interviewed for the Mountjoy, Borthwick, or Brown vacancies. The commission then will meet to select – from the Mountjoy, Borthwick, Brown, and Cordonnier applicant pools – the three nominees for the Cordonnier vacancy. The commission expects to announce the specific timeline for the reopened Cordonnier vacancy in due course after the governor has made his selection for the Brown vacancy.  

This process will be repeated for any additional vacancies that may be announced before January 31, 2023, with all applications received and interviews conducted for the Mountjoy, Borthwick, Brown, Cordonnier, and any subsequent circuit judge vacancies remaining in active consideration unless any such application is withdrawn. To the extent possible, the commission plans to address vacancies in the order the vacancies will occur.

The members of the 31st Circuit Judicial Commission are:  Jack A. L. Goodman, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District; attorneys Deborah K. Dodge and Kurt J. Larson; and lay members Kim Hancock and Dr. Fred G. McQueary.

Contact: Craig Street, clerk of the court

Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District

(417) 895-6811