Two attorneys round out county judicial commission

Greene County lawyers have elected two attorneys to serve on the newly formed 31st Circuit Judicial Commission, which is responsible for nominating judges for the county.

Brent Green, a partner at Evans & Green LLP, will serve on the commission until 2011, according to an announcement from the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association. Clif Smart, general counsel for Missouri State University, will serve until 2013.

The commission also includes three other members - the chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District, which currently is Gary Lynch, and two citizens appointed by the governor. Linda Fowler, a director for the State Bank of Southwest Missouri, will serve until the end of 2014, and Sally Hargis, vice president of Ozarks Coca Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co., will serve until the end of 2012.

The commission was created after voters last November approved the Nonpartisan Court Plan, adding Greene County to the list of Missouri counties that use that method for selecting judges. The commission nominates three candidates for any vacant judge's seat, and the governor selects one from the nominees.