photo by: Contributed

Judge Lori Bolton Fleming

Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday announced her selection to replace retiring Judge Henry Green Jr. on the Kansas Court of Appeals.

Kelly selected Judge Lori Bolton Fleming, of Pittsburg. Bolton is the chief judge for the 11th Judicial District, which includes Cherokee, Labette and Crawford counties.

The nominating commission forwarded three candidates for Kelly’s consideration: Bolton Fleming, Meryl Carver-Allmond, of Lawrence, and Randall Hodgkinson, of Topeka.

“I am confident Judge Bolton Fleming will be an exceptional addition to the Kansas Court of Appeals,” Kelly said in the release. “Her extensive legal career, commitment to public service, and strong reputation will make her an excellent Court of Appeals Judge.”

Bolton Fleming was appointed as a district court judge in 2012 by Gov. Sam Brownback. She was appointed as chief judge by the Kansas Supreme Court in 2021. In this role, she oversees the operations of the 11th Judicial District, which covers five courthouses in southeast Kansas.

“It is my honor to be selected by Governor Kelly to serve on the Kansas Court of Appeals,” Bolton Fleming said in the release. “I intend to work hard every day to be the best possible appellate judge for all Kansans.”

Bolton Fleming is active in her local community through many volunteer efforts, including partnering with Pittsburg State University to create a pre-law internship program to help address the rural attorney shortage, according to the release. She has also served on several Kansas Supreme Court committees, including the Rural Justice Initiative, the Pretrial Justice Task Force, the Kansas Digital Evidence Advisory Group, the COVID Jury Trial Advisory Group, and the Cybersecurity Committee.

Prior to joining the legal profession, Bolton Fleming served as an elementary music and English teacher at Fort Scott High School and Leavenworth Public Schools.

She graduated from the Washburn University School of Law in 2001, where she served as the editor-in-chief of the Washburn Law Journal. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Pittsburg State University in 1996.

Bolton Fleming’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.