New chief judge appointed for 18th Judicial District

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court has appointed District Judge Jeff Goering as chief judge of the 18th Judicial District effective from June 30 through December 31, 2019.

Goering will succeed Judge James Fleetwood, who will retire June 29.

The 18th Judicial District is composed of Sedgwick County.

“We are glad that Judge Goering has agreed to serve as chief judge, providing continuity in capable leadership in the 18th Judicial District,” said Lawton Nuss, chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court.

Goering was elected in 2004 as a district judge.

“Judge Fleetwood is a tough act to follow,” Goering said. “I’m very grateful to him for leaving behind a well-managed district, and I’m humbled to be appointed by the Supreme Court to replace him.”

Goering graduated from Washburn University School of Law, then worked as an assistant district attorney in the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office from 1991 to 1992. He was in private practice in Leavenworth from 1992 to 1996, during which time he also was municipal judge for the City of Leavenworth. He returned to Wichita and was in private practice from 1996 to 2005. During that time he was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives, serving from 2003 to 2004. He was a member of the Kansas Sentencing Commission from 2003 to 2004.

Each of Kansas’ 31 judicial districts has a chief judge who, in addition to his or her judicial responsibilities, has general control over case assignments within the district, as well as general supervisory authority over the administrative and clerical functions of the court.