Soper and Holiman appointed to Judicial Performance Review Committee

The Missouri Bar has appointed two new members to vacancies on the independent Judicial Performance Review Committee. Duane Soper of Platte City and Dr. Alan Holiman of Kansas City have been approved by The Missouri Bar Board of Governors to serve on the committee. 

The JPR Committee assesses the performance of judges of the Supreme Court of Missouri, the court of appeals and each judicial circuit whose judges are selected through the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan, pursuant to Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 10.50. 

Missouri uses a constitutional merit system known as the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan to select its appellate judges and trial-level judges in the City of St. Louis and Clay, Greene, Jackson, Platte and St. Louis counties. In other parts of the state, trial-level judges seek election in partisan races. The Judicial Performance Review Committee evaluates the work of each nonpartisan judge based on review standards. The Missouri Bar then disseminates the committee's findings prior to judicial retention elections. 

Donald “Duane” Soper has resided in Platte County for 50 years. Although he started as an entrepreneur with his own company, Soper has spent many years in public service as a commissioner in Platte County and currently serves as the vice president of Wells Bank in charge of their construction lending portfolio.   

Soper will be taking over the unexpired term for the 6th Judicial Circuit non-lawyer member, expiring in 2026. 

“I look forward to the opportunity to serve on the Judicial Performance Review Committee,” Soper said. “I believe this to be an important piece of the process in our judicial system.” 

Dr. Alan Holiman has previously served on a regional judicial performance review committee before it was replaced with a statewide committee in 2016. As a professor of political science at William Jewell College he has a clear understanding of the significance of Missouri’s judicial performance review process and supports it. 

Holiman will be serving as the 7th Judicial Circuit non-lawyer member, with a term expiring in 2024. 

“It is essential that citizens of the State of Missouri have complete confidence that the judges serving in their courts are fair, reasonable, competent professionals, dedicated to the impartial administration of justice,” said Holiman. “Being a judge is hard work, on which the rule of law ultimately rests. Missouri’s Judicial Performance Review Committee system is important to uphold judicial accountability and to strengthen public confidence in the judiciary. I am honored to serve my fellow citizens in this capacity.” 

For more information on the Judicial Performance Review Committee’s work, visit YourMissouriJudges.org.