The Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission announced the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Governor Michael Kehoe to fill the circuit judge vacancy created by the appointment of the Honorable Virginia W. Lay to the position of appellate judge. Those nominated by the commission are:
Mondonna Lee Ghasedi – Ghasedi earned her bachelor of arts in political science and English in 1996 from Southern Methodist University and her law degree in 1999 from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. She is an associate circuit judge in St. Louis County.Jeffery T. McPherson – McPherson earned his bachelor of arts in 1990 from Southern Illinois University and his law degree in 1994 from Saint Louis University School of Law. He is a lawyer in private practice at Armstrong Teasdale LLP.Susan McDowell Petersen – Petersen earned her bachelor of science in commerce in 1995 from Santa Clara University and obtained her law degree in 1998 from Saint Louis University School of Law. She is a lawyer in private practice at The Law Office of Susan M. Petersen.
The commission received 16 applications and interviewed all applicants during one day of public interviews on March 13, 2025. The commission believes these candidates, chosen from a field of extremely qualified individuals, possess those qualities essential to the fair and efficient administration of justice. The commission is confident each of these individuals is capable of serving well and honorably if selected by the governor. Pursuant to Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 10.29, the commission reports the final votes received by each nominee were: Ghasedi received five votes, McPherson received four votes, and Petersen received four votes. Matt Reh recused himself from considering and voting on the candidacy of Jeff McPherson.
The members of the Twenty-First Circuit Judicial Commission are: Judge Thomas C. Clark II, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, and commission chair; Chris Baechle; Matt Reh, secretary of the commission; Michelle Spirn; and Kelly Wittenbrink.
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