TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly appointed John J. Bryant, Jr., Kansas City, Kansas, to the 1st Judicial District vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Robert Bednar.
“John brings an impressive mix of experience to the bench and has served the people of Atchison and Leavenworth counties well as an attorney,” Governor Kelly said. “I know that he will do the same as a Judge.”
Bryant has run a solo law practice, Bryant Law Office, since 2014, primarily handling criminal defense cases. Prior to starting his private practice, he worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the Fraud and Medicaid Abuse Division in the Office of the Kansas Attorney General and was Deputy County Attorney for Leavenworth County. Bryant is a member of the Leavenworth County Bar Association, the Wyandotte County Bar Association, and the Lecompton Historical Society. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1996 and earned his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 2000.
“I believe my extensive courtroom experience has prepared me for the role of a district court judge,” Bryant said. “I’ve been blessed to learn from excellent judges and attorneys in my career. Every day as a judge, I will work to follow their example and do everything I can to promote efficiency and trust throughout the court system and ensure all people are treated fairly under the law.”
District court judges in the 1st Judicial District are appointed by the governor and selected from nominees chosen by a district nominating commission. Judges in nominating commission districts are subject to retention elections every four years.
The three other nominees selected by the district nominating commission were Michael G. Jones (private practice attorney), John Kurth (private practice attorney), and Andrew Werring (private practice attorney).