St. Louis parents who've lost custody of their children and their advocates say they have contacted Gov. Mike Parson’s office to complain about the Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission’s nominees for circuit judge.
The candidates nominated by the Commission under the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan are John R. Lasater, Jeffrey P. Medler and Nicole S. Zellweger.
They currently are associate circuit judges with the 21st Judicial Circuit and, if selected, would fill the one vacancy left by the appointment of Judge Reneé Hardin-Tammons to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.
“All three candidates are awful,” said Attorney Evita Tolu who opposed the nomination last year of Guardian ad Litem Elaine Pudlowski by the 22nd Circuit Judicial Commission to replace retiring Judge James Sullivan in the 22nd Circuit Judicial District.
Tolu sued Pudlowski, a partner at Frankel, Rubin, Klein, Payne & Pudlowski, after losing custody of her children when Pudlowski was serving as GAL.
As previously reported in the St. Louis Record, it was Craig Higgins who Gov. Mike Parson appointed circuit judge, not Pudlowski.
Under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan, Commissions for each district review applications, and interview candidates before selecting three nominees from which the governor appoints one person. Gov. Parson has 60 days to select a candidate. The general public is encouraged to submit commentary on each candidate to the Judicial Commission.
In Perotta v. Perotta, Michele Perotta had both Judge Lasater and Judge Zellweger on her case, according to Tolu.
"Michelle lost her custodial rights based on a court evaluator who labeled Michele Perotta crazy without having met with Michele in person," Tolu told the St. Louis Record. "So, how can the judge and a court evaluator make that determination? Michelle is a therapist who works with teens and the court system negatively branded her like they branded me and many other loving protective mothers.”
Angela Freiner, who is an alienated parent, accused Zellweger of allegedly being unethical and predatory as an associate judge.
“Nicole Zellweger has willfully infringed on the personal liberties of mine and other litigants, and will continue to do so,” Freiner wrote in her 5-page fax to Gov. Parson. “I further wish to convey my vehement and sincere opposition to the appointment of Nicole Zellweger as a circuit judge.”
Freiner was charged and jailed for allegedly tampering with a judge after she sent an email to Nicole Zellweger in response to losing custody of her teenage daughter Delilah.
As previously reported in the St. Louis Record, the teen was released to her uncle David Judy’s custody, according to Freiner who fears her daughter has been exposed to her grandfather who was convicted of forcible rape, assault with a deadly weapon, sexual battery, and restraint of a 26 to 28-year-old female, according to the Boone County Sheriff's Website in Arkansas.
“The preliminary injunction direction granted by the court on Feb. 3, 2021, granted her father temporary sole legal and physical custody with no visitation rights for me,” Freiner further wrote to the governor. “This is pending further orders from the Court.”
A jury trial has yet to be set to review the criminal charges assessed against Freiner.
The Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission did not respond to requests for comment.
"Judicial applications are a closed process," said Stephanie Whitaker, Parson's deputy communications director, when asked about the letters.