Topeka ? A Topeka municipal judge and two attorneys are the finalists for an open seat on the Shawnee County District Court in northeast Kansas.

A special nominating committee has submitted the names of Steven Ebberts, Carl William Ossmann and Fred Patton to Gov. Sam Brownback.

The governor has until July 20 to choose a successor to David Bruns (bruhnz), who was appointed to the Kansas Court of Appeals in April by Brownback.

Ebberts has been Topeka’s chief municipal judge since 2003.

Ossmann is deputy general counsel for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

Patton is an attorney in private practice and supervised the Shawnee County District Court’s research attorneys from July 2000 until December 2004.