14 April 2009

ST. LOUIS – The Twenty-First Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Nixon to fill the circuit judge vacancy in St. Louis County created by the retirement of Judge Bernhardt C. Drumm Jr. Those nominated by the commission are the Honorable Thea Anne Sherry, Thomas Prebil and Patricia Redington.

Sherry has served as an associate circuit judge in St. Louis County since 1998. She is a member of the Supreme Court of Missouri Family Court Committee, a member of the St. Louis County Domestic Violence Council, and a member of the Judicial Administration Legislative Review Subcommittee. She is also an adjunct professor at Washington University School of Law, teaching Advanced Criminal Procedure. Prior to serving on the bench, Sherry was a principal in private practice, focusing on civil, domestic and juvenile litigation. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Gerald M. Smith (retired) at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. In addition, she has been active on the boards of several community organizations as well as the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and is a charter member of the Women Lawyers Association of Greater St. Louis. She has a bachelor of arts in history from the University of California, Riverside and a juris doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis. She is married and has two children.

Prebil has practiced law in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area for 37 years, most recently with Schlichter, Bogard & Denton LLP. He earned his undergraduate degree from St. Louis University and his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law. Prebil has been a resident of University City since 1975.

Redington has been with the county counselor’s office since 1985 and has served as county counselor since January 2000. She is past president of the state and local municipal attorneys associations. She graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 1981. Redington is married to attorney Randy Mariani and has one son.

The commission believes 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 Nixon 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 Circuit Judicial Commission are: Chief Judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District Nannette A. Baker, Debbie Champion, Patrick Dudley, Gerard Noce and Laurie Westfall.

Update: The governor appointed Thomas Prebil to fill this vacancy.

Contact: Laura Roy, (314) 539-4300