NASHVILLE (AP) - The state Judicial Selection Commission will meet later this month to discuss filling the state Court of Appeals vacancy created when Judge William Koch was named to the Supreme Court.

Monday was the deadline for applications to be submitted to the Administrative Office of the Courts, and 22 people applied for the position.

Under the Tennessee Plan for judicial selection adopted in 1994, the governor fills court vacancies from a three-person panel compiled by the commission. If he rejects the first panel, the governor is required to select one of the nominees from a second panel.

A legal tangle between Gov. Phil Bredesen and the commission developed last year in filling two Supreme Court vacancies. The first vacancy was filled without controversy, but the second ran into trouble when the only minority candidate on a slate of nominees withdrew citing family reasons.

Koch was sworn in at the Tennessee Supreme Court last month.

The current Court of Appeals vacancy must be filled by a candidate from Middle Tennessee. The Judicial Selection Commission will meet July 31.

As of midday Monday the candidates were:

- Andy D. Bennett, chief deputy attorney general, Tennessee Attorney General’s Office

- Joseph Pitts Binkley Jr., Nashville attorney, Law Office of Joe P. Binkley Jr.

- Jeffrey S. Bivins, circuit court judge, 21st Judicial District

- Donald Capparella, Nashville attorney, Dodson, Parker & Behm P.C.

- Robert Ewing Corlew III, chancellor, 16th Judicial District

- Richard Hannah Dunavant, deputy district attorney, 22nd Judicial District

- Christina Henley Duncan, Decherd attorney, Rogers & Duncan

- Mark A. Fulks, assistant attorney general, Tennessee Attorney General’s Office

- Amy V. Hollars, Livingston attorney

- John D. Kitch, Nashville attorney

- Andrei Ellen Lee, administrative law judge, Secretary of State, Administrative Procedures Division, State Board of Equalization

- Laurence M. “Larry” McMillan Jr., chancellor, 19th Judicial District

- Thomas Edward Nelson, magistrate/judicial commissioner, Davidson County Night Court

- Russell T. Perkins, Tennessee Attorney General’s Office

- Stephanie R. Reevers, claims commissioner, Tennessee Claims Commission Middle District

- W. Scott Rosenberg, juvenile court referree, Davidson County Juvenile Court

- Mary Martin Schaffner, Nashville attorney, Howell & Fisher PLLC

- Lillie Ann Sells, assistant district attorney, 31st Judicial District

- Larry B. Stanley Jr., circuit court judge, 31st Judicial District; chancellor, Warren County Chancery Court

- Matthew J. Sweeney, Nashville attorney, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC

- Juan Gonzalo Villasenor, assistant attorney general, Tennessee Attorney General’s Office

- Kathryn E. Barnett, Nashville attorney, Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

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On the Net:

Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts: http://www.tsc.state.tn.us

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