Two panels chosen for St. Louis County judgeships

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The 21st Circuit Judicial Commission has selected two slates of finalists for two judicial vacancies in St. Louis County.

Lorne Baker, Ellen Dunne and Matthew Hearne were nominated to succeed Circuit Judge Margaret Donnelly after her impending retirement. Seth A. Albin, Chastidy Dillon-Amelung and Nicolette Klapp were picked for the associate circuit vacancy created by Judge Megan Julian’s elevation to the circuit bench.

Gov. Mike Parson has 60 days to appoint one person from each panel to fill the vacancies. The commission chose the finalists from among a total of 27 people who applied for one or both positions and were interviewed on Nov. 7 and 8.

All three circuit judge candidates are currently associate circuit judges in St. Louis County. Baker and Hearne were named to the bench by Parson, while Dunn was appointed by former Gov. Jay Nixon.

Baker earned his law degree in 1993 from the University of Missouri. Dunne earned her law degree in 1990 from Saint Louis University. Hearne earned his law degree in 1992 from the University of Toledo. The five-member commission said Baker was chosen unanimously while Dunne and Hearne received four votes.

On the associate circuit panel, Albin received five votes, Dillon-Amelung received three votes and Klapp received four votes. Albin, who earned his law degree in 1997 from Washington University, is a member of Summers Compton Wells. Dillon-Amelung, who earned her law degree in 2002 from the University of Missouri, is a traffic commissioner for the St. Louis County Circuit Court. Klapp, who earned her law degree from Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley Law School, is an attorney with the Buxner Law Firm.

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