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Appellate judicial commission to interview all applicants for Van Amburg vacancy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The commission currently tasked with providing the governor with a pool of three individuals for filling the vacancy on the Eastern District Court of Appeals, has decided to interview all applicants in mid-December.

The Appellate Judicial Commission announced on Monday that they will interview 18 Missourians to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Lisa Van Amburg in August 2018. The interviews, which are open to the public, will take place on December 19, 2018 in St. Louis.

Of the 18 applicants, the mean age is 51-years-old, eight live inside the St. Louis area, and six are trial court judges. Five women have applied for the position and one minority. Eight applicants work in the public sector, nine work in the private sector, and one works in both.

The commission has decided to interview all who applied for the vacancy. Following the completion of the interviews, the commission will select three nominees for Gov. Mike Parson to consider.

The applicants are:

Deborah J. Alessi, a circuit court judge in St. Charles County;

Kelly C. Broniec, an associate circuit court judge in Montgomery County.

Michael E. Gardner, circuit court judge in Cape Girardeau County.

Richard A. Gartner, principal in the Gartner Law Firm located in St. Peters.

Michael D. Hodge, an attorney in St. Louis.

Joe D. Jacobson, principal in the Jacobson Press P.C. located in Clayton.

Douglas W. King, partner at Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum, LLP in St. Louis.

Ellen S. Levy, attorney in Clayton.

Shaun J. Mackelprang, assistant attorney general.

James R. McAdams, Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel for the Office of Administration.

Jeffery T. McPherson, partner at Armstrong Teasdale LLP in St. Louis.

Darrell E. Missey, presiding circuit court judge in Jefferson County.

Eric S. Peterson, attorney in St. Louis.

Robin Ransom, presiding circuit court judge in St. Louis.

David E. Roland, the Director of Litigation and co-founder of the Freedom Center of Missouri in Mexico, Missouri.

John P. Torbitzky, partner at Behr, McCarter & Potter in St. Louis.

M. Celeste Vossmeyer, Adjunct Professor Of Law at Saint Louis University.

Carl M. Ward, senior attorney at Ward & Childress in St. Louis.

The commission is expected to conduct interviews from 8:30 a.m. to 4:10
p.m. Wednesday, December 19 at the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern
District, One Post Office Square, 815 Olive Street in St. Louis. The
public is invited to attend and observe interviews.