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Blake Glover

Douglas County pro tem Judge Blake Glover will fill the vacancy created by Judge Sally Pokorny’s retirement, Gov. Laura Kelly’s office announced Friday.

Glover was one of three finalists selected by the 7th Judicial District Nominating Commission to replace Pokorny, who retired in April. The other two finalists were Paul Klepper, of Lawrence, a pro tem judge in Douglas County, and Krystal Vokins, of Lawrence, an assistant training director with Kansas Board of Indigents’ Defense Services.

In appointing Glover, Kelly cited his breadth of experience as an attorney and as a pro tem judge.

“This experience and his deep commitment to the rule of law will be an asset to Douglas County, and I look forward to seeing him continue his public service on the bench,” Kelly said in a news release.

Glover said he was honored to accept the appointment.

“I grew up in this community, and I could not be more excited for this opportunity,” he said in the release. “I look forward to serving our citizens as Judge Pokorny did — treating all those before me with respect, fairness, and fidelity to the law.”

Glover, of Baldwin City, has been a pro tem judge in Douglas County since January 2022. He currently handles misdemeanor cases, protection from abuse/protection from stalking cases, small claims, and traffic court. He previously handled probation violations for both felony and misdemeanor cases. Prior to this, he owned his own law practice in Baldwin City from January 2014 through January 2022. Additionally, he was appointed city attorney for Baldwin City in January 2018 and served in that role until January 2022. Before this, he was an assistant district attorney in McKinney, Texas, from August 2007 to June 2013. He is a board member of the Baldwin Education Foundation, which works with business and community leaders to fund teacher grants for innovation in public education.

Glover earned his bachelor’s degree from Baker University and his law degree in 2008 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.