Fairfield attorney among district judge candidates

Fairfield attorney Myron L. Gookin is among the 10 applicants for the position of judge in the 8A Judicial District.

Interviews will be held Thursday and Friday in Ottumwa to fill the seat vacated by Judge Michael Mullins, who was appointed to the Court of Appeals June 9.

For the first time in the judicial district, the interviews by the Judicial Nominating Commission for the position will be open to the public.

The commission will interview candidates Thursday and Friday at the Court Administrator?s office in Ottumwa. The interviews will begin at 8:30 a.m. on both days, with seven interviews on Thursday and three on Friday.

The public is asked to park on the lower-level parking lot.

The public may attend, listen and observe, but not interact with the process. Breaks between interviews are planned, and the public will be able to enter or exit the interview room without disrupting the interviews.

The candidates had to submit their applications to the Court Administrator?s office by 4:30 p.m. Monday.

The applications, and the required supporting information, will be available to the public at www.iowacourts.gov.

Allowing the public to view all the applications also is a new opportunity for the public. The changes by the court are aimed at letting citizens learn first hand about the process by which two members of the Judiciary are nominated to the governor for selection.

In addition to Gookin, other candidates who submitted applications are: Robert E. Breckenridge II of Ottumwa; Michael O. Carpenter of Ottumwa; Randy S. DeGeest of Oskaloosa; Barbara A. Edmondson of Washington; Kristin W. Ensign of Urbandale; Daniel P. Kitchen of Washington; Mark E. Kruse of Burlington; Kathryn J. Salazar of Washington; and David M. Van Compernolle of Pleasant Hill.

The Judicial Nominating Commission will submit the names of two nominees to Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad who will then appoint one person to the position within 30 days.