Seven seek opening on Southern District bench

Three women and four men are applying for a vacancy on the Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District.

The Appellate Judicial Commission plans to interview the seven applicants for the vacancy left by the recent retirement of Judge Nancy Steffen Rahmeyer. Interviews will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 22 at the Hotel Vandivort, 305 East Walnut Street, in Springfield. 

A panel of three finalists is expected to be chosen later that day. Gov. Mike Parson will have 60 days to pick one of the three, marking his 11^th appointment to the Court of Appeals and his second to the Southern District.

Four of the applicants are employed outside the Springfield metropolitan area. Five are trial court judges, while the other two are in private practice. The applicants’ mean age is 48.

The applicants are:

• Becky J.W. Borthwick, a circuit judge in Green County
• Jennifer R. Growcock, a circuit judge in Taney County 
• Matthew P. Hamner, the presiding judge in the 26^th Circuit, which comprises Camden, Laclede, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan counties
• Joseph L. Hensley, an associate circuit judge in Jasper County
• Scott T. Horman, a solo attorney in Benton 
• Laura J. Johnson, the presiding judge in Christian County
• Bryan E. Nickell, an attorney with Blanton, Nickell, Collins, Douglas & Hanschen in Sikeston.