Springfield judge up for Supreme Court post for 2nd time this year

SBJ file

Judge Ginger Gooch is one of three nominees for Missouri’s open Supreme Court seat.

For the second time this year, Springfield Judge Ginger Gooch is up for a seat on the Supreme Court of Missouri.

Gooch is one of three nominees submitted by the Appellate Judicial Commission to Gov. Mike Parson for the vacancy left by the retirement this month of Supreme Court Judge Patricia Breckenridge, according to a news release.

A judge for the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, in Springfield, Gooch is a finalist for Breckenridge's seat along with Michael Gardner and John Torbitzky, both of whom are judges in the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, in St. Louis.

"The commission unanimously supports the three nominees," officials said in the release, noting they were selected after three hours of public interviews, around two hours of deliberations and 10 rounds of balloting.

Parson has 60 days to select one of the nominees to fill the vacancy.

Gooch was named a finalist in August for the Supreme Court seat vacancy created by the retirement of Judge George W. Draper III, according to past reporting. Gardner, too, was a finalist for the role that ultimately went to Judge Kelly Broniec, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, in St. Louis.

Gooch, who previously was a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP, was selected late last year by Parson for her current bench seat, according to past reporting.

Gooch clerked at the Supreme Court of Missouri before starting in private practice in 2001. She was a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP from 2008 until she was named a judge and practiced business litigation, education, banking and appellate law, according to past reporting.