18 November 2003

ST. LOUIS – The Twenty-Second Circuit Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Holden to fill the circuit judge vacancy on the St. Louis circuit court created by the appointment of Judge Patricia L. Cohen to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.

Those nominated by the Commission are: Iris Janette Golliday Ferguson, John F. Garvey, and Erwin O. Switzer.

Ferguson was appointed as an associate circuit judge by Governor Mel Carnahan in 1993.  She received her bachelor of arts in sociology in 1966 from Lincoln University. She then received her law degree from St. Louis University School of Law as well as a master of arts in urban affairs from St. Louis University in 1978. She was in private practice for 15 years, served as a municipal judge for the city of Pagedale, and served as a municipal prosecutor for various St. Louis County municipalities

Garvey graduated with a bachelor of arts in 1983 from St. Louis University and a law degree in 1986 from Rutger's University Law School. He began in private practice in 1987 and moved on to the circuit attorney’s office before serving as an alderman for the city of St. Louis from 1991 to 1995. He then went back into private practice until his appointment as an associate circuit judge in 1998.

Switzer obtained his bachelor of arts in political science in 1978 from St. Louis University and his law degree in 1981 from St. Louis University. He clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He was a partner at the Bryan Cave law firm until 1994. That year he joined the attorney general’s office, where he practices in the areas of consumer protection and civil rights enforcement.

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 the city of St. Louis and the State of Missouri and proudly presents these names to Governor Holden 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 Judicial Circuit Commission are: Chief Judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District Sherri B. Sullivan, Laura T. Cohen, Nancy Kistler, Christopher McGraugh and Eva Louise Frazer, M.D.

Contact: Laura Roy, clerk

Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District

(314) 539-4300