New 18th Judicial District chief judge

TOPEKA—Sedgwick County District Judge James Fleetwood has been appointed chief judge of the 18th Judicial District to succeed Hon. Michael Corrigan, who is retiring at the end of his term January 12th.

As a chief judge, Judge Fleetwood will have general management responsibilities in the judicial district, including assigning judicial caseloads and directing all clerical and administrative personnel.  The appointment is for one year to complete the chief judge term currently held by Judge Corrigan.  He will be eligible for re-appointment for two-year terms thereafter.

Judge Fleetwood has been on the Sedgwick County bench since 1997.  Before that, he was employed at Koch Industries Inc. in the Environmental Law section following his graduation from the Washburn University School of Law in 1989.  He was in general private practice from 1995 until his election to Division 11 of District Court in 1997.

Judge Fleetwood has presided over the 18th District’s Family Law and Civil Departments and presently serves on the Kansas District Judge’s Association Executive Committee and the Wichita Bar Association Board of Governors where he is Editor of the Wichita Bar’s Bar-O-Meter, a local legal publication.  He also is a volunteer for Citizen Emergency Response Team.

He has been married for 33 years to Lisa Fleetwood and has one son and two granddaughters.