17 December 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Laura Denvir Stith, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri and chair of the Appellate Judicial Commission, announced today that the commission has submitted to Gov. Matt Blunt its panel of nominees to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. The vacancy exists due to the governor's appointment of Judge Patricia Breckenridge to the Supreme Court of Missouri.

In alphabetical order, the panel consists of Alok Ahuja, Nimrod T. Chapel Jr. and the Honorable Zel M. Fischer.

Ahuja is a partner with the Kansas City law firm of Lathrop & Gage LC. He was born in January 1964 in Raipur, India. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in English and philosophy, with highest distinction and Phi Beta Kappa, in 1985 from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, and his law degree in 1988 from Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut. Ahuja lives in Lee's Summit.

Chapel is a commissioner with the administrative hearing commission in Jefferson City. He was born in June 1970 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He earned his bachelor of science degree in economics in 1992 from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, his law degree in 1995 from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans and his master's in law degree in taxation from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Chapel has homes in Jefferson City and Kansas City.

Fischer is an associate circuit judge in Atchison County, which is in the 4th Judicial Circuit. He was born in April 1963 in Hamburg, Iowa. He received his bachelor of arts degree, majoring in both philosophy and political science, in 1985 from William Jewell College in Liberty and his law degree, with distinction, in 1988 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Fischer lives in Tarkio.

Blunt has 60 days to select one member of the panel to fill the vacancy. If the governor should fail to do so, the Missouri Constitution directs the commission to make the appointment.

Note: The governor appointed Alok Ahuja to fill this vacancy.

Demographic details: Of the 33 individuals who applied for this vacancy, 28 are male and five are female; 1 is Indian-American, two are black and 30 are white; 18 work in the public sector and 15 work in the private sector; and the mean age was 49.