(The Center Square) – A majority of the Missouri Supreme Court’s seven justices will soon be women after Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday appointed Eastern District Court of Appeals Judge Kelly Broniec.
“I come from a small town and to have this opportunity to serve on the court with three other women and knowing it’s only one of 11 states in the country to have a majority of women on the state’s highest court is quite an honor,” Broniec said after her introduction by Parson.
Broniec was appointed to her current position by Parson in 2020. She was appointed by former Republican Gov. Matt Blunt to serve as an associate circuit judge for Montgomery County in 2006 and served for 15 years. She served as the Montgomery County prosecuting attorney from 1999 to 2006.
Broniec was one of three nominees submitted to Parson by the Appellate Judicial Commission. Supreme Court Justice Patricia Breckenridge announced her retirement in October, so Parson will soon be appointing her replacement. Parson said selecting Broniec was difficult because of the qualifications of the other candidates.
“I guess I would like to say, sometimes, yes, I did this because the judge is a lady,” Parson said. “But the truth is, it’s not. I picked her because of her background, where she came from and who she is. So if all those chips fall into place and there’s more women on the court, there will be more women on the court. But they’ve got to earn their way to it. I’m not giving it to them.”
A nonpartisan appellate judicial commission reviews applications, interviews candidates and selects a panel for the governor to select from. After appointment and serving in office for a year, the judge must stand for a retention election – without political party designation – at the next general election.
“These appointments are going to be for the long term and they’re going to affect generations after my generation,” Parson said. “I want to make sure we put people on there who interpret, read the law and enforce it like it is. One of the things I think about (when) picking a lot of these judges, it’s not about the politics.”
Broniec acknowledged the importance of the duties of the state’s highest court.
“I will do my best to bring common sense, practicality and respect for the rule of law to my work at the court, along with the important values of humility, kindness and hard work,” Broneic said.
Broniec will replace the retiring Judge George W. Draper III. She earned her juris doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from William Woods University.
