JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Appellate Judicial Commission announced today that it is accepting applications for judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, to fill the vacancy created by the March 1, 2016, retirement of Judge Joseph M. Ellis after nearly three decades of judicial service, including the last 23 years on the appeals court. He was in the private practice of law in Macon from 1972 – also serving six years as the municipal judge for the city of Macon – until his August 1993 appointment to the appeals court. He served as the court’s chief judge from July 2002 through June 2004 and served as chair of The Missouri Bar’s division of judicial administration since 2004. Judge Ellis also served on the Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline from 2007 to 2012 and was the commission’s chair in 2011.

Citizens are encouraged to nominate well-qualified candidates for the commission’s consideration. The Missouri Constitution requires that a judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals be at least 30 years old, licensed to practice law in Missouri, a United States citizen for at least 15 years and a qualified Missouri voter for at least nine years next preceding selection. Nominations should be submitted to the commission by e-mail at WDJudgeVacancy@courts.mo.gov, or by postal mail to Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District Judge Vacancy, P.O. Box 150, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The nomination form is available here.

            Public nomination form:   in Word     in PDF

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, April 29, 2016. Interested persons may download the application and instructions here.

Application:  in Word     in PDF

Instructions for applicants: in Word     in PDF

Guidelines for references:  in Word     in PDF

The commission expects to meet Monday and Tuesday, June 6 and 7, 2016, at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District at 1300 Oak Street in Kansas City, to interview applicants and select a panel of three nominees for the governor’s consideration. The interviews will be open to the public. The names of those to be interviewed and information relating to the number and characteristics of all applicants will be released publicly prior to the beginning of the interviews.

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Contact: Beth S. Riggert
Communications Counsel
Supreme Court of Missouri
(573) 751-3676