6th Judicial District Nominating Commission picks Valorie Leblanc to fill magistrate judge vacancy in Bourbon County

TOPEKA— The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission has selected Valorie R. Leblanc to fill the magistrate judge vacancy in the 6th Judicial District, sitting in Bourbon County.

The commission interviewed four applicants for the position last Friday, and those meetings were open to the public.

Valorie R. Leblanc, Fort Scott, currently is the assistant county attorney in Bourbon County, assistant county counselor for the Bourbon County commissioners, and city attorney for the City of Fulton. Her new position as magistrate judge in Bourbon County will be effective upon her swearing in.

Kansas law requires that a magistrate judge be a resident of the county at the time of swearing in, be at least 30 years old, be a high school graduate or its equivalent, and, if not admitted to practice law in Kansas, be certified by the Supreme Court as qualified to serve in the job.

The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission at the time of selection consisted of Justice Lee A. Johnson as the nonvoting chair; and Richard M. Fisher Jr., Osawatomie; Alan D. Hurt, Mound City; Blake D. Hudson, Fort Scott; Blake Heid, Paola; Ronald P. Wood, Louisburg; and Mark McCoy, Fort Scott.