The 25th Circuit Court’s two judges are seeking an appointment to the Missouri Court of Appeals.
Judges Mary Sheffield and Tracy Storie are among 23 people applying for the Southern District job. Among the applicants are private attorneys and trial judges.
For the first time, those seeking a spot on a Missouri appeals court have been publicly identified, allowing more scrutiny of a selection process that critics had complained was too secretive.
A special nominating panel will forward three names to the governor, who then appoints one.
The courts in recent years have started releasing more information about judicial applicants as critics of the nominating process argue that the current system is too secretive and should be replaced with partisan elections or one in which nominees must gain Senate approval.
More information about judicial applicants has become available since 2008, when courts began releasing the applications of the three finalists for each position. The public also was notified of the meeting time and locations of the nominating committees. In December, the Missouri Supreme Court decided the names of everyone interviewed by the nominating committees would be revealed.
Missouri Chief Justice William Ray Price told a joint legislative session last Wednesday that it was important for there to be separation between the selection of judges and politics and special interests. He said releasing the names of applicants makes the process more transparent.
“This step to transparency will allow the people of our state to judge the panels of three chosen for submission to the governor against all of those who are considered,” Price said. “It is a significant and good change.”
Missouri started picking some judges with the nominating process in 1940 to limit the politics involved in the judiciary and reduce urban political machines’ influence. Critics contend politics are still heavily involved and the nominating panels are excessively influenced by trial attorneys.
The applicants that were identified Friday are seeking to replace Judge John Parrish, who retired from the southern district appeals court Sept. 1 after spending more than three decades as a judge. All 23 people are white, eight are women and 15 are men. Twelve people live in Springfield, 11 work solely for the government, 11 are private attorneys and one works in the public and private sectors.