By Amanda Lubinski
ALubinski@cherryroad.com

CLAY COUNTY — Voters in Clay County are being asked to make a host of decisions on the November ballot including whether 10 judges should retain their current positions on the bench.

In order to help voters decide, the Missouri Bar Association evaluates judges and publishes findings online at yourmissourijudges.org.

“The Missouri judicial performance review process was developed after a committee studied model rules and best practices from the American Bar Association and more than 20 judicial performance evaluation systems in the nation,” reports the Missouri Bar Association.

The review committee reviews the performances of judges who sit on the state Supreme Court, the court of appeals and each judicial circuit judge selected through the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan, including the 7th Circuit of Clay County.

“The committee considers a variety of information about each judge, including lawyers’ ratings of judges, jurors’ ratings of some trial judges and written opinions from judges,” reports the Bar Association. “By a vote of the members of the committee, the committee determines whether a judge substantially meets overall judicial performance review standards.”

Ratings considered and reported for the public include whether judges are prepared for court, treat all parties equally and with respect, use court time efficiently, are impartial and professional, listen carefully during court proceedings, apply rules of evidence relevant to each proceeding, help parties narrow key issues in dispute, give a reason for their rulings when needed and issue clear written orders.

Judges on the November ballot for Clay County who were reviewed this election cycle are: Kelly Broniec and Ginger K. Gooch of the state Supreme Court; Cynthia Martin, Janet Sutton and Gary Witt of the state appeals court; Tim Flook and Alisha O’Hara of the circuit court; and associate circuit court judges Louis Angles, Calan McConkey and Dan White.

All were rated as “substantially meeting” overall judicial performance standards.