Jewell County District Magistrate Judge John Bingham to retire January 9

TOPEKA—After nearly 17 years on the bench serving as a district magistrate judge for the 12th judicial district, Judge John Bingham will retire when his current term ends January 9, 2017.

The 12th judicial district is composed of Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic, and Washington counties.

"I applied for the position of magistrate judge and was honored to be selected. Magistrate judges in Kansas are an integral part of the justice system that will be greatly missed if Kansas abandons the wisdom of this position," Bingham said. "I have been honored to work for Kansas and its people. I will greatly miss the work, but I am prepared for the next step in my life. I thank everyone I worked with during my tenure."

Bingham has enjoyed a number of professional pursuits in the legal field before he became a magistrate judge, including with the state of Kansas, the governor's office, as assistant district attorney and in private practice.

Bingham graduated from the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas School of Law. He also served in the U.S. Army.