JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Pursuant to Rule 10.28(d), the Appellate Judicial Commission announces the following demographic information relating to applicants for the vacancies on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, created by the June 18, 2022, retirement of Judge Gary W. Lynch and the July 31, 2022, retirement of Judge William W. Francis Jr.:
There are 17 applicants, of whom six report they are female and none report they are minority applicants. Twelve are employed outside the Springfield metropolitan area. Eight applicants work in the public sector and nine work in the private sector. Of those in the private sector, five work in a solo or small-firm practice. Of those in the public sector, all are trial court judges. The applicants’ mean age is 52.3 years.
Pursuant to Rule 10.28(d), the commission announces it will interview all 17 applicants:
Alan M. Blankenship
Becky J.W. Borthwick
Carolyn G. Buschjost
David A. Cole
Brian G. Ellsworth
Ginger K. Gooch
Matthew P. Hamner
Joseph L. Hensley
Michael O. Hendrickson
James E. Meadows
Kathryn A. Millington
Bryan E. Nickell
Steven A. Privette
Scott A. Robbins
Sherry A. Rozell
Megan K. Seay
Raymond E. Williams
The commission is expected to conduct interviews beginning at 12:30 p.m. Monday, August 22 and 8 a.m. Tuesday, August 23, 20221, at the Hotel Vandivort, 305 East Walnut Street, in Springfield. The interviews are open to the public.
The commission is expected to begin meeting at approximately 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 23, after interviews conclude, to select three nominees from this applicant pool for the governor’s consideration for the Lynch vacancy only.
As previously explained, after the governor makes his appointment to fill the Lynch vacancy, the commission expects to reopen the application process briefly for any additional individuals who wish to be considered for the Francis vacancy. The commission anticipates it will interview only new applicants; it does not plan to re-interview those who interviewed for the Lynch vacancy. The commission then will meet to select – from both applicant pools – the three nominees for the Francis vacancy. The commission expects to announce the specific timeline for the reopened Francis vacancy in due course after the governor has made his selection for the Lynch vacancy.