Charles Droege named chief judge in 10th Judicial District

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court has appointed District Judge Charles Droege to serve as chief judge of the 10th Judicial District from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2023. 

The 10th Judicial District is Johnson County. 

“We appreciate that Judge Droege is willing to take on the additional responsibilities of chief judge and provide continuity in capable leadership in the 10th Judicial District,” said Marla Luckert, chief justice of the Supreme Court. “We look forward to working with him in this new capacity.” 

Droege has been a judge in the 10th Judicial District since 2007. 

"I am honored to be appointed to serve as the chief judge for the 10th Judicial District and to serve the people of Johnson County,” said Droege. “The Johnson County District Court has 23 of the brightest, hardest working judges in the country, and our state and county court employees are second to none. We will continue to strive to provide fair, equal, and prompt justice to everyone in our community.” 

Droege has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Wichita State University and a law degree from Washburn University School of Law. He worked as an assistant district attorney in the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office from 1984 to 1985. He then spent 16 years as a sole practitioner handling both criminal and civil litigation matters. He was a municipal court judge for the cities of Desoto and Edgerton from 2001 to 2007, before he was appointed district court judge.  

Each of Kansas’ 31 judicial districts has a chief judge who, in addition to their 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.