by Ivan Foley
Landmark editor
As reported on The Landmark’s Twitter page Thursday, Gov. Jay Nixon has appointed Dennis C. Eckold, of Kansas City, as an Associate Circuit Judge of the Sixth Circuit (Platte County).
Eckold will fill the vacancy created by the governor’s appointment in January of Gary D. Witt to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District.
In a related development, the Judicial Commission will meet this week to nominate another three-member panel as candidates to replace Judge Daniel Czamanske, who has been forced to step down due to the state’s mandatory retirement age.
Scott Campbell of the Judicial Commission told The Landmark the panel will meet on Thursday of this week at 2 p.m. Later that same day, the panel of three will be announced. When it happens, the news will be reported on The Landmark’s Twitter page at twitter.com/ivanfoley.
“Dennis Eckold has gained strong and varied legal experience in his 27 years as an attorney in Missouri, including work on criminal, family law, juvenile, traffic and contract cases,” Gov. Nixon said in naming Eckold to replace Witt. “I am confident that he will serve the people of Platte County well on the bench.”
Eckold has been in private practice in the Kansas City area since 1983, for the past 11 years with his own firm, Dennis C. Eckold and Assoc., LLC.
He has been trained as a certified mediator and arbitrator. Eckold is a1983 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law. From 1998 to 2003, he served as an appointed member of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.
Eckold was a founding member of the Kansas City Keep Safe Committee to study police and fire department capital needs, which resulted in the eventual construction of a new police academy, police station and fire station. He also has been active in his church and in community youth sports activities.
Eckold was one of three applicants submitted to the Governor for consideration by the Sixth Circuit Judicial Commission under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan.
Other names submitted to the governor after being chosen from an original panel of 16 were Roseann Ketchmark and Thomas C. Fincham.
It is possible, though not mandatory, that Ketchmark and Fincham could be on the list of three potential replacements for Czamanske.
“Division III (Czamanske’s position) handles different types of cases than Division V (Witt’s old spot), which could require a unique set of skills,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the commission will form its next panel off the previous interviews, as no new interviews will be held.
Those candidates to be considered for the new panel, in addition to Fincham and Ketchmark, will be Cole Eason, Christopher T. Patterson, Curtis G. Eylar, Sarah Recker, Lisa K. Rehard, Tammy Jo Glick, Dawn B. Schaag, Michael A. Gould, Quint Shafer, Bradley P. Grill, Lori L. Stipp, Jeffrey M. Hensley, and David Weimer.
The Judicial Commission that conducted the interviews and made the selections is chaired by Chief Judge Thomas H. Newton of the Missouri Court of Appeals , Western District. In addition to Newton, other members of that commission are Scott L. Campbell and James D. Boggs, attorneys; and Judy Stokes and David B. Barth, lay people.
