District Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen to retire from Reno County position

TOPEKA—District Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen, who serves in the 27th Judicial District, will retire November 30.

Allen has been magistrate judge in the district, which is composed of Reno County, since 2015.

"I enjoyed my time as a magistrate judge and hope that I made a difference," Allen said. "I tried to look at each case and take all of the facts into consideration before making a decision."

Allen was appointed by Governor Sam Brownback to fill a vacancy on the court in October 2015. She then was elected to a four-year term in 2016.

Before joining the bench, Allen was an assistant district attorney for Reno County for six years. She previously worked for 15 years as an attorney for prisoners at Hutchinson Correctional Facility. She earned a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Kansas and a law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law.

Allen said she will move to Lawrence to be closer to her children and plans to stay involved in some capacity in the legal system there.