Commission fills district magistrate judge vacancy in Cherokee County
Jan. 29—COLUMBUS, Kan. — The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission has selected Douglas Steele to fill a magistrate judge vacancy in Cherokee County.
Two people had applied for the opening, but one candidate withdrew his nomination from consideration before interviews began. The vacancy was created when Judge Samuel Marsh retired Dec. 31.
Steele, a solo practitioner in Columbus, will start in his new role upon his swearing-in. After serving one year in office, he must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, he would serve a four-year term.
The 11th Judicial District is composed of Cherokee, Crawford and Labette counties. The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Evelyn Wilson as the nonvoting chair; Sara Beezley, Pittsburg; James Cook, Parsons; William Shane Adamson, Parsons; John Lehman, Girard; Oliver Kent Lynch, Baxter Springs; and Angela Rippel, Scammon.
