A state panel has picked three possible successors to Park County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters, who is retiring in December.

On Wednesday, the Judicial Nominating Commission announced it has nominated attorneys Tim Blatt of Cody, Joey Darrah of Powell and Tom Keegan of Cody as potential replacements.

Blatt spent 12 years as a deputy Park County prosecuting attorney before switching to private practice and public defense work in 2017.

Darrah has long been in private practice in Powell, handling both civil and criminal cases. He also serves as a district court commissioner when needed. Darrah came close to joining the bench in 2017 and again 2018, when he was named as a finalist for two district court positions that became available in the Fifth Judicial District.

Keegan primarily handles civil cases in his private practice at Keegan, Krisjansons & Miles. He is also the current Cody Municipal Court judge and serves as a magistrate for the circuit court when Judge Waters is unavailable.

The Judicial Nominating Commission, made up of Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Kate Fox, three lawyers and three non-lawyers, said it considered all of the individuals who expressed interest in the position.

Gov. Mark Gordon now has 30 days to choose one of the three names submitted by the commission to serve as the next circuit court judge in the Fifth Judicial District. Whoever is selected will preside over Park County’s misdemeanor criminal cases and the early stages of felony charges, civil cases in which less than $50,000 is in dispute and restraining orders for allegations like stalking or family violence, among other duties.

The judge is based at the Park County Courthouse in Cody, but also presides over cases at the Park County Annex in Powell one or two days a week.

Waters’ last day on the bench is set for Dec. 3.