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, Southern District. This vacancy was created by the October 2023 appointment of Judge Ginger K. Gooch to the Supreme Court of Missouri.
The commission unanimously supports the three nominees. After nearly 2.5 hours of public interviews, approximately one hour of deliberations, and four rounds of balloting, the nominees are Matthew P. Hamner, Joseph L. Hensley, and Bryan E. Nickell.
Hamner is a circuit judge and juvenile judge in the 26th Judicial Circuit (Camden, Laclede, Miller, Moniteau, and Morgan counties). He was born in 1976 and resides in Osage Beach. He earned his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in communication in 1998 and his law degree in 2001, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He received seven votes.
Hensley is an associate circuit judge and presiding juvenile judge in Jasper County (in the 29th Judicial Circuit). He was born in 1973 and resides in Joplin. He earned his Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, and with honors, in psychology in 1995, and his law degree in 1998, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He received seven votes.
Nickell is an attorney with the Blanton, Nickell, Collins, Douglas, and Hanschen LLC law firm in Sikeston. He was born in 1969 and resides in Sikeston. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in accounting in 1991 from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau and his law degree in 1994 from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. He 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.
