State group honors Osage County judge

TOPEKA—District Magistrate Judge Taylor Wine of Osage County received the Lee Nusser Award for Outstanding Magistrate Judge of 2017.

The award was presented in June in Topeka at the annual meeting of the Kansas District Magistrate Judges Association.

Wine, who serves in the 4th Judicial District, also was re-elected first vice president of KDMJA.

Last year's award recipient, District Magistrate Judge Sheila Hochhauser of Riley County, presented the award and cited Wine's work ethic and his role as legislative liaison.

"Taylor was chosen because he exemplifies what it means to be a caring and compassionate judge. The clerks in his judicial district wrote me a letter telling me all about that," Hochhauser said. "Also, he received the award because he represents the KDMJA in an excellent manner at the Capitol during the legislative sessions."

Wine, a native of Madison in Greenwood County, earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University after graduating from Pittsburg State University. He was in private practice in Osage County until being appointed to the bench in October 2011.

 In the 4th Judicial District, he hears cases in Coffey, Osage and Franklin counties.

He and his wife, Heather, have three sons and live in Lyndon.

The award is named for Nusser, who served as a district magistrate judge in Stafford County from 1976 to 1999. He died in 2003. The award is given to a judge who has exhibited support of the Kansas judiciary and the dignity and integrity of the magistrate judges association.