Finalists selected to fill 31st Circuit judgeship

The 31st Circuit Judicial Commission yesterday interviewed eight applicants and chose three as finalists for the seat Judge Dan Conklin will vacate next month with his retirement.

The commission selected Mark Powell, Jason Brown and Margaret Holden. Brown and Powell are associate circuit judges for Greene County, and Holden is chief administrative law judge for the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation, according to an e-newsletter sent to members of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.

Gov. Jay Nixon has 60 days to appoint a new judge to fill the position.

The 31st Judicial Circuit Court handles roughly 36,000 cases per year, ranging from traffic tickets to felonies, according to GreeneCountyMo.org.