Governor Jay Nixon is considering three nominations to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. Among the candidates is an attorney in Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s office.
Patricia Breckenridge, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri and chair of the Appellate Judicial Commission, announced the nominees Tuesday.
This vacancy exists due to the March 2016 retirement of Judge Joseph M. Ellis after nearly three decades of judicial service, including 23 years on the appeals court.
The commission unanimously supports the three nominees. After approximately three hours of public interviews, 1.5 hours of deliberations and five rounds of balloting, the nominees – each of whom received seven votes – are: Edward R. Ardini Jr., Judge W. Brent Powell and Teresa A. Woody.
Ardini is counsel to the Missouri governor in Jefferson City, Mo. He was born in 1966. He earned his bachelor of arts in political science in 1989 from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts, and his law degree in 1992 from the New England School of Law in Boston.
Powell is a circuit judge in the 16th Judicial Circuit (Jackson County). He was born in 1970. He earned his bachelor of arts in political science in 1992 from William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., and his law degree in 1996 from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law.
Woody is a solo practitioner with The Woody Law Firm PC in Kansas City. She was born in 1960. She earned her bachelor of arts in political science in 1982 from the University of California-Berkeley and her law degree in 1985 from the Hastings College of Law at the University of California in San Francisco.
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.
In addition to Breckenridge, the commission is composed of Michelle Beckler of Marshfield, Scott S. Bethune of Kansas City, Thomas M. Burke of St. Louis, Cheryl M. Darrough of Columbia, Edward “Nick” Robinson of St. Louis and Donald E. Woody of Springfield.