25 February 2009

ST. LOUIS – The Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Nixon to fill the circuit judge vacancy on the St. Louis County circuit court created by the retirement of Judge Melvyn W. Wiesman.

Those nominated by the commission are: the Honorable Gloria Clark Reno, the Honorable Douglas R. Beach and Thomas J. Plunkert.

Reno is an associate circuit judge in St. Louis County. She currently presides over an associate civil/equity docket and previously presided over family and criminal dockets. She is a member of the Supreme Court of Missouri Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Domestic Relations Cases, and has been a presenter at the Annual Missouri Judicial College. After her appointment to the bench, Reno volunteered as a Truancy Court Judge in the St. Louis County Truancy Court Program (a program to encourage school attendance). Prior to her appointment to the bench, Reno was a member of The Hale Law Firm. Her experience covered all phases of civil, and criminal litigations, at the state and federal levels. Reno also has experience in appellate practice having, written briefs and argued cases before the Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri and Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Reno served as the municipal judge for the city of Northwood in St. Louis County from January 1994 to March 2002, when she was appointed to the St. Louis County circuit court an associate circuit judge. She received her juris doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law in 1986, and her bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Missouri- St. Louis. A former educator, Reno has served as a mentor and instructor to high school and college students. Reno is a member of The Missouri Bar, the Mound City Bar Association, the Women’s Lawyers Association, and the Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges. She is a member of the board of the Cardinal Ritter Institute for Seniors a public service organization as well as other civic and public service organizations.

Beach was appointed by Governor Matt Blutt as associate circuit judge for St. Louis County in 2005. He graduated from Central Connecticut State University in 1970, received his law degree from New England School of Law (cum laude) in 1973. He retired from the United States Marine Corps Reserve as a lieutenant colonel were he served as judge advocate. Beach was in the private practice law in St. Louis being named in the Best Lawyers of America publication for 10 consecutive years. He was an incorporator of the city of Chesterfield in 1988 and served as the city attorney for 17.5 years before his appointment to the bench. Beach as been assigned to the family court docket since he was appointed in 2005. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a frequent lecturer on family law and other legal topics.

 

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.

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 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 Nannette A. Baker, Debbie Champion, Patrick Dudley, Gerard Noce and Laurie Westfall.

Update: The governor in April 2009 appointed Gloria Clark Reno to fill this vacancy.

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

Contact: Laura Roy

(314)539-4300