TOPEKA—The 12th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, December 19, to discuss the nomination process to fill a district judge vacancy in Cloud County.
 
This vacancy will be created January 1 when District Magistrate Judge Guy Steier resigns and Administrative Order 2024-JA-096 goes into effect. The order converts the Cloud County district magistrate judge position number 1 into a new district judge division number 2, also in Cloud County.
 
The 12th Judicial District is composed of Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic, and Washington counties. It is one of two six-county districts with only one district judge division. The 24th judicial district is the other.
 
Public access

Accommodation
 
Any person with a disability who requires accommodation to access the nominating commission meeting should notify the judicial branch ADA coordinator as early as possible:
 
ADA Coordinator
ADA@kscourts.org
785-296-2256
TTY at 711
 
Eligibility requirements
 
To be considered for a district judge, a nominee must be:

• at least 30 years old;

• a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least five years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school; and

• a resident of the judicial district at the time of taking office and while holding office.

The nominating commission selects three to five people whose names are submitted to the governor to fill the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements.
 
The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint.
 
Term of office
 
After serving one year in office, the new district judge must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, the incumbent will serve a four-year term.
 
Nominating commission
 
The 12th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice K.J. Wall as the nonvoting chair; Carol Good, Barnard; Dwight Daniels and James Johnson, Beloit; Bryan Cleveland and Robert Walsh, Concordia; Tanner Johnson, Courtland; David Savage, Greenleaf; Starla Nelson, Jamestown; Bradley Steen, Lincoln; Darrell Miller and Keith Roe, Mankato; and Elizabeth Hiltgen, Palmer.