The Appellate Judicial Commission has nominated Court of Appeals Judges Kelly C. Broniec, Michael E. Gardner and Ginger K. Gooch to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Supreme Court.
The commission announced the panel of finalists late Tuesday following two days of interviews with 23 applicants who sought to succeed Judge George W. Draper III on the court, following his retirement earlier this month. The commission said its choices, which came after approximately three hours of deliberations and eight rounds of balloting, were unanimous.
Broniec is currently the chief judge of the Eastern District. She earned her law degree in 1996 from the University of Missouri. Prior to her appointment to the appeals court in 2020, she was a trial judge in Montgomery County.
Gardner is also on Eastern District, in St. Louis. He earned his law degree from the University of Missouri in 2004. Prior to his appointment to the appeals court in 2020, he was a trial judge in the 32nd Circuit.
Gooch is a judge on the Southern District. She earned her law degree in 2000 from the University of Missouri. Prior to her appointment to the appeals court last year, she was in private practice with Husch Blackwell in Springfield.
Gov. Mike Parson, who appointed all three judges to their current seats, has 60 days to make the appointment. Later this year, he is expected to get a second panel of Supreme Court nominees following the scheduled retirement of Judge Patricia Breckenridge.
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