Governor Laura Kelly today appointed Kristi Cott, Garden City, Kan., to the 25th Judicial District vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Ricklin Pierce.
“Kristi is a dedicated, professional, and knowledgeable attorney with extensive experience in the judicial system,” Governor Kelly said. “I am confident Kristi’s experience and her commitment to the law will serve the 25th Judicial District well.”
Cott has been in private practice in Garden City since 2020, representing clients in criminal defense and guardianship and conservatorship cases. She began her career as an Assistant Public Defender, then became an Assistant County Attorney in Finney County before going into private practice. Cott is a member of the Kansas Bar Association and has been active through various bar associations in the past as well. In addition to her law practice, she is a basketball coach for the local YMCA teams. She graduated from the University of South Dakota in 2000 and earned her law degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2006. She lives with her husband and two children in Garden City.
“I’ve spent my career both defending the rights of the accused as a defense attorney and promoting public safety as a prosecutor,” Kristi Cott said. “And over the last year in private practice I’ve broadened my experience to include a variety of civil cases. As a district judge I will put that experience to work every day to ensure that every person in my courtroom is heard and every decision I make is fair and follows the law without bias or prejudice.”
District court judges in the 25th 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 two other nominees selected by the district nominating commission were Brian Sherwood (Finney County, Assistant County Attorney) and Timothy Woods (Finney County, District Magistrate Judge).