Staff Report

Gov. Steve Brashear recently appointed four Harlan County citizens to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 26th Judicial Circuit and District of Kentucky.

Those Harlan Countians appointed are:

• Tina R. Blanton, of Wallins Creek, assistant manager at Cumberland Jewelry and Pawn. This appointment replaces Charles H. Guyn, whose term has expired. Blanton will serve for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2014.
• Rosemary Hamm, of Baxter, who will replace Donald G. Parsons, whose term has expired. Hamm will also serve for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2014.
• Jeremy O. Jackson, of Baxter, a physician at Harlan Appalachian Regional Healthcare. His appointment replaces Robert M. Forester, whose term has expired. Jackson will serve for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2016.
• Julie A. Jackson, of Harlan, a family nurse practitioner at Appalachian Regional Healthcare. Her appointment replaces Debby Howard, whose term has expired. Jackson will also serve for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2016.

“I’m honored to have received this appointment,” said Hamm.

Hamm retired from the Administrative Office of the Courts’ Pretrial Services in 2008. She served 31 years as a supervisor in Harlan County and retired as a statewide supervisor with an office out of Frankfort.

Blanton commented she is also honored to have been appointed to this commission.

“I’ve always been interested in state politics,” said Blanton. “I consider it a privilege to serve my state in this capacity.”

The Judicial Nominating Commission’s job is to help fill judicial vacancies by appointment when a vacancy occurs outside of the election cycle.

The commission was established by the Kentucky Constitution.

There are currently 61 nominating commissions in Kentucky, one for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, one for each judicial circuit and one for each judicial district. If the circuit and district have the same boundaries, then one commission serves both.

Each commission has seven members and is comprised of Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr., who also serves as chair, two attorneys elected by all attorneys in the vacancy’s jurisdiction; and four non-attorney Kentucky citizens, who are appointed by the governor. The four citizens must equally represent the two major political parties.

A Judicial Nominating Commission member must be a resident of the circuit or district he or she represents and may not hold any other public office or hold an office in a political party or organization.

Commission members serve four-year terms.