The retirement of Platte County presiding judge James Van Amburg was announced last week via a press release from the circuit judicial commission.
The Sixth Circuit Judicial Commission is accepting applications for the position of circuit judge, Division II beginning Oct. 14. This position will be created by the term expiration of Van Amburg, effective Dec. 31. Van Amburg has served as a judge on the Platte County circuit court since 1993.
Van Amburg
The Missouri Constitution requires that a circuit judge be at least 30 years old, licensed to practice law in Missouri, a citizen of the United States for at least 10 years, a qualified voter in Missouri for the three years preceding selection, and a resident of the Sixth Judicial Circuit for at least one year.
Citizens are encouraged to nominate well-qualified candidates for the commission’s consideration at courts.mo.gov.
The commission must receive all completed applications for this vacancy by 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. The commission expects to meet Tuesday, Dec. 15 at the Platte County Courthouse, Platte City, to conduct public interviews of the applicants and to select a panel of three nominees for the vacancy. Further details regarding the interviews, including the manner in which applicants and the public will participate, will be announced at a later date. Upon receipt of the nominations, the governor of the State of Missouri will have 60 days to appoint one of the three nominees as circuit judge in Division II of the Platte County circuit court.
Members of the commission are Cynthia L. Martin, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District; attorneys Mark Ferguson and Jared Welch; and lay members Julie Elliott and Carla Killen.
For more information, check court.mo.gov or Kimberly K. Boeding, clerk of the court, Western District Court of Appeals, 1300 Oak Street, Kansas City, Kimberly.Boeding@courts.mo.gov.