Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announced non-attorney appointments to 7 judicial district nominating commissions Wednesday, Nov. 23. All terms run from Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2022.

1st Judicial District: Nicole Dews of Lakewood, Republican, Jefferson County.

2nd Judicial District: Sean Bradley of Denver, Democrat, Denver County.

3rd Judicial District: Paula Irene Murphy of Trinidad, Democrat, Las Animas County; Patricia Elinor Walls of Trinidad, unaffiliated, Las Animas County.

7th Judicial District: Matthew Soper of Orchard City, Republican, Delta County.

11th Judicial District: William Mark Holt of Westcliffe, Republican, Custer County.

18th Judicial District: Delford Philips of Denver, unaffiliated, Arapahoe County; Christopher Richardson of Elizabeth, Republican from Elbert County; Michael Yowell of Hugo,  Republican, Lincoln County.

22nd Judicial District: Larry Don Suckla of Dolores, unaffiliated, Montezuma County.

Each of Colorado’s 22 judicial districts has a nominating commission that selects nominees for district and county judicial vacancies. Each commission is chaired by a justice of the Supreme Court, who is a non-voting member.

Each commission consists of seven citizens residing in that district. No more than four members can be from the same political party, and there must be at least one voting member from each county in the district.

In all districts with populations of more than 35,000, the voting members consist of three people admitted to practice law in Colorado and four people not admitted to practice law in Colorado. In judicial districts with populations under 35,000, at least four voting members are people not admitted to practice law in Colorado. It is determined by majority vote of the governor, attorney general and chief justice how many, if any, of the remaining three members will be persons admitted to practice law in Colorado.

Commission members serve six-year terms. Non-lawyers, who make up the majority of every nominating commission, are appointed by the governor. Lawyer members are appointed by joint action of the governor, attorney general and chief justice.