Jerome, Idaho (KMVT-TV) A total of 17 people sent applications to Twin Falls And Cassia Counties to fill two open positions for magistrate judges. Twin Falls County trimmed its list of 13 applicants to eight possible candidates.

Linda Wright, Trial Court Administrator for District 5, says, "Judge Bollar was just selected to sit on the bench in Minidoka County, so his position is opening, so we'll be filling his. And Judge Cannon in Twin Falls resigned in June, so we'll be replacing her."

Wright says they sent out notices of the job openings to all the attorneys in the state of Idaho. They had three weeks to get their applications in, then they had criminal checks runs on them, and the state made sure the attorneys were paying their taxes and so on. That's to make sure there won't be any questions about the two new judges.

Wright says, "Most of them are around for 10, 12 years, some even longer. And then most of them retire, we've lost a few to death in the District Court. They're just ready to do something different or become a senior judge."

Wright says the committee will choose two finalists to fill the positions. She says it could take the new judges two weeks to a month before they can make the transition, but both of them should be on the bench by the middle of next month.

Aug. 17, 2012.