photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

The Kansas Judicial Center, 301 SW 10th Ave. in Topeka, is pictured on Dec. 18, 2023.

Fifteen people, including two judges from Douglas County, applied by a noon deadline Monday to fill a vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court that will be created when Justice Evelyn Wilson resigns July 4.

Douglas County District judges Amy Hanley and Carl Adrian Folsom III applied for the seat. Also applying from Lawrence are lawyers Meryl Brianne Carver-Allmond, Brian Lee Mizer and Krystal Lynn Vokins.

The other 10 applicants are Krishnan Christopher Jayaram, district judge, Lenexa; Laura Ellen Johnson-McNish, district judge, Troy/Marysville; Kathleen M. Lynch, district judge, Kansas City; Cheryl Ann Rios, district judge, Topeka; Robert James Wonnell, district judge, Olathe; Randall Lee Hodgkinson, lawyer, Topeka; Brant Mitchell Laue, lawyer, Topeka; Anthony F. Rupp, lawyer, Olathe; Larkin Evans Walsh, lawyer, Leawood; and Kristen Diane Wheeler, lawyer, Wichita.

photo by: Contributed

Judge Amy J. Hanley

photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

Carl Folsom III addresses the crowd at his swearing in ceremony on Dec. 2, 2022, at the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

The Supreme Court Nominating Commission will meet by videoconference at 8 a.m. Tuesday to finalize the date to interview applicants and other procedural matters. The meeting will be livestreamed on the Kansas judicial branch YouTube channel.

Interviews by the Supreme Court Nominating Commission are open to the public pursuant to the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

The full interview schedule and brief biographical information about each applicant will be posted on the Kansas judicial branch website at www.kscourts.gov as soon after Tuesday’s videoconference as possible.

After interviewing applicants, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission will decide which three applicants to recommend to the governor to fill the position. The governor will then choose whom to appoint to fill the Supreme Court vacancy.

A nominee for justice must be at least 30 years old; and a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least 10 years, whether as a lawyer, judge or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.