Mike Parson has appointed the first Black woman to the Missouri Supreme Court.
It is a first to be celebrated. But regardless of her race, Judge Robin Ransom appears to be a good choice.
A performance evaluation from the 22nd Circuit Judicial Performance Evaluation Committee previously has given her high marks, especially for treating people equally regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, economic status or any other factor. On this, she was rated 4.61 out of 5. She had almost as high marks for displaying fairness and impartiality toward each side of the case. It examined a written opinion she wrote, saying it was "well-written, logical and persuasive."
The Missouri Independent reported she has almost 20 years of experience in judicial roles, currently serving as a judge of the Eastern District Court of Appeals.
"I am confident that she will continue to be a fair enforcer of the law, faithfully interpret the law as written and reasonably consider decisions made at the trial and appellate level," Parson said.
The St. Louis native was selected from a pool of 25 applicants screened by a nominating commission.
"While I may be the first African American woman to be a part of this court, I would like to say I have never lived by a label or any identity anyone has tried to put upon me," Ransom told the Missouri Independent.
Ransom replaces Judge Laura Denvir Stith, who retired in March. Under the provisions of the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan, Ransom will be on the ballot in November 2022 for a retention vote, the news agency reported. If she receives a majority vote, she will serve a 12-year term.
She will be the second Black judge on the court. Chief Justice George Draper III is the other. Ronnie White is the only other Black member of the state's high court. He served from 1995-2007.
We commend Parson for appointing Ransom to the high court, and we look forward to seeing her contributions toward keeping the scales of justice balanced.
News Tribune