With a decision pending on the next judge to sit on the Lyon County bench, a retirement celebration has been announced for longtime Chief Judge merlin Wheeler.
Activities will begin at 2 pm Friday at the Lyon County Courthouse, with a special ceremony in Courtroom 3 followed by a reception at Jury Assembly Room 201 at 3 pm.
Wheeler is retiring after over 32 years on the bench and 25 years as chief judge. His legal career dates back to 1977, when he served as Emporia’s city attorney, and includes a decade in private practice before he was named to the bench in 1990.
A decision on Wheeler’s replacement on the bench is awaiting the formal appointment from Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, with Judge Doug Jones, Assistant Lyon County Attorney Laura Miser and local defense attorney Jeremy Dorsey the finalists for that position. Jeff Larson, who has been a Lyon County judge since 2007, was appointed as the district’s chief judge this week by the Kansas Supreme Court.
