A special commission that nominates candidates for the Missouri Supreme Court has given Gov. Jay Nixon the choice of an attorney, a trial judge or an appeals court judge to fill a vacancy.
The three finalists announced Thursday for the state's highest court are:
- Jackson County Circuit Judge Michael W. Manners
- Eastern District Court of Appeals Judge George W. Draper III
- St. Louis attorney Joe D. Jacobson
Nixon now has 60 days to decide whether to appoint one of them to succeed Judge Michael Wolff, who resigned from the Supreme Court in August.
Under the Missouri Constitution, the Appellate Judicial Commission was responsible for screening the 13 applicants and recommending three finalists. This marked the first time that applicants for the Supreme Court were interviewed in public sessions.
