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The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District on Wednesday formally announced the resignations of three of its judges.
Judges Paul Spinden and Ron Holliger leave the court this week, and Judge Joseph Dandurand will leave on March 2, the state’s Appellate Judicial Commission said in a press release.
Spinden’s resignation, first noted in a Dec. 5 Daily Record article, was publicly acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday. According to the press release, he will be joining the faculty of Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Va. His last official day is Friday.
Holliger and Dandurand’s departures had been previously announced, as they will be joining the staff of new Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster. Holliger will serve as his general counsel, while Dandurand will be deputy attorney general.
The resignations create an opportunity for Gov. Jay Nixon, who took office Monday, to have an immediate and major impact on the Western District. Under the state’s Nonpartisan Court Plan, a state commission will give the governor three qualified applicants, of which the governor chooses one.
