16 May 2008

ST. LOUIS – The Twenty-Second Circuit Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Blunt to fill the circuit judge vacancy in St. Louis created by the retirement of Judge Evelyn M. Baker.

Those nominated by the commission are the Honorable Michael K. Mullen, the Honorable Michael F. Stelzer and Commissioner James Sullivan.

Mullen was appointed as an associate circuit judge in May 2001. Before being appointed to the bench, he was engaged in the private practice of law as a sole practitioner and as a partner in the law firm of Mullen and Fernandez. He was an assistant circuit attorney from 1990 to 1995. He has clerked at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, and has been an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is married to Joan Heilweck Mullen, and they have four children.

Stelzer is a native St. Louisan. He graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois in 1986 with a bachelor of arts degree in economics. He worked for the U.S. Treasury Department for three years in central Illinois before returning to St. Louis in 1989 to attend law school at St. Louis University, from which he graduated cum laude from in 1992. Stelzer clerked for Judge Carl R. Gaertner at the Missouri Court of Appeals,  Eastern District, then worked briefly for George Kosta before accepting a position with the city counselor's office. He worked in the office's civil litigation section for more than 10 years, trying personal injury and civil rights cases in both state and federal court. He also handled a number of special projects and appeals in both state and federal court. Stelzer is married and has three children. He is actively involved in St. Gabriel Parish through the Board of Education, the Capital Campaign Committee and the Athletic Association. He also is on the executive committee for the Augustana Alumni Club of St. Louis and volunteered time with the Boys' Club of St. Louis in Soulard. Stelzer currently serves as an associate circuit judge in the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

Sullivan received his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law in 1977. He has served as an assistant public defender, assistant prosecuting attorney, assistant circuit attorney, a hearing officer for the St. Louis board of police commissioners and a St. Louis municipal judge. He worked with the law firm of Riezman and Blitz and was partner in the law firm Sullivan and Beck. Currently he serves as a drug court commissioner in the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

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 city of St. Louis 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-Second Circuit Judicial Commission are: Chief Judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District Patricia L. Cohen, June Bosley Dabney-Gray, Stephen Doss, Thomas Schwartz and Mary Anne Sedey.

Contact: Laura Roy, clerk

Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District

(314) 539-4300