We will have a new Supreme Court Justice in the State of Missouri come this December. The Honorable Richard B. Teitelman, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri and chairman of the Appellate Judicial Commission, announced that the commission selected its panel of nominees to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Missouri. This vacancy was created when Judge William Ray Price Jr. retired in August 2012, after serving 20 years on the Court. Price had served two terms as chief justice.
After more than six hours of public interviews, nearly three hours of deliberations and six rounds of balloting, the nominees are: Hon. Michael W. Manners, five votes; Stanley J. Wallach, four votes; and Paul C. Wilson, four votes.
Manners is a circuit judge in the 16th Judicial Circuit (Jackson County). He was born Sept. 25, 1950. He earned his bachelor of arts degree, summa cum laude, in 1972 in history and political science from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Mo., and his law degree in 1976 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Manners lives in Lee’s Summit.
Wallach is an attorney with the Wallach Law Firm in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 24, 1965. He earned his bachelor of arts degree, with honors, in 1987 in political science and Russian from Duke University in Durham, N.C., and his law degree in 1992 from the University of Chicago Law School. Wallach lives in Kirkwood, Mo.
Wilson is a member of Van Matre, Harrison, Hollis, Taylor & Bacon PC in Columbia, Mo. He was born May 23, 1961. He earned his bachelor of arts in 1982 from Drury College in Springfield, Mo., and his law degree, cum laude, in 1992 from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law. Wilson lives in Jefferson City.
The governor has 60 days to select one member of the panel to fill the vacancy. Should he fail to do so, the Missouri Constitution directs the commission to make the appointment.
In addition to Teitelman, the commission is composed of attorneys Thomas M. Burke of St. Louis, J.R. Hobbs of Kansas City and John D. Wooddell of Springfield and lay members Cheryl M. Darrough of Columbia, John T. Gentry of Springfield and Donald L. Ross of St. Louis.