The Appellate Judicial Commission has submitted to Governor Michael L. Parson its panel of nominees to fill the vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, due to the impending November 2024 retirement of Judge Kurt S. Odenwald.
The commission unanimously supports the three nominees. After approximately six hours of public interviews, approximately two hours of deliberations, and nine rounds of balloting, the nominees are Virginia W. Lay, Ellen S. Levy and Joan M. Lockwood.
Lay is a circuit judge in the 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County). She was born in 1968 and resides in Clayton. She received her bachelor of arts, with honors, in American Studies in 1990 from Columbia University in New York, New York, and her law degree in 1993 from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. She received seven votes.Levy is a circuit judge and probate division administrative judge in the 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County). She was born in 1963 and resides in St. Louis. She earned her bachelor of arts in psychology in 1985 and her law degree in 1988, both from Washington University in St. Louis. She received seven votes.Lockwood is co-managing partner of Gray Ritter Graham PC in St. Louis. She was born in 1967 and resides in St. Louis. She earned her bachelor of science, cum laude, in finance and human resource management in 1990 from Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts, and her law degree, cum laude, in 1993 from Saint Louis University School of Law. She received seven votes.
The governor has 60 days to select one member of the panel to fill the vacancy. Should he fail to do so, the Missouri Constitution directs the commission to make the appointment.
The commission is chaired by Chief Justice Mary R. Russell and is composed of Neil Chanter of Springfield, Connie Cierpiot of Lee’s Summit, Timothy M. Drury of St. Louis, Jennifer Hardester of St. Louis, Sally Hargis of Springfield and Kirk R. Presley of Kansas City.
Original source can be found here.