Salina Post
The Kansas Judicial Branch has announced the nomination process to fill the vacancy of the 28th district judge position.
The nomination process will convene by a conference call at 11:00 am Thursday, December 11, to discuss the nomination process to fill the 28th district judge position.
The vacancy will be created when District Judge Paul Hickman retires May 1st, 2026 from his position in Saline County.
Click here to view the 28th Judicial District Nominating Commission.
The 28th Judicial District is composed of Ottawa and Saline counties.
How to access the conference call
1. Call 1-845-361-8917
2. Enter Conference Code 3872788.
3. Press #
Any person with a disability who requires accommodation to access the nominating commission meeting should notify the judicial branch ADA coordinator as early as possible:
ADA Coordinator:
[email protected] | 785-296-2256
TTY at 711
Eligibility requirements
To be considered for district judge, a nominee must be:
- At least 30 years old
- Lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least five years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.
- Resident of the judicial district at the time of taking office and while holding office. See Kan. Const. art. 3 § 7; K.S.A. 20-331; and K.S.A. 20-334(a).
Appointment process
The nominating commission seeks nominations and then meets to interview the nominees, (interviews are open to the public).
The commission selects three to five people whose names are submitted to the governor to fill the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements.
The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint.
Term of office
After serving one year in office, a new judge must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, the incumbent will serve a four-year term.
Nominating commission
The 28th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice K.J. Wall as the nonvoting chair; David Stanley, Bennington; Lance Cochran, Robert German, Donald Merriman, Christine Ritter, and Russel Prophet, Salina; and Robert Martin, Solomon.