Sexton reappointed chief judge

Ben Sexton, chief judge for the 8th Judicial District, has been reappointed to a two-year term until Dec. 31, 2027.

Sexton has been a district judge since 2001 and chief judge since August, 2021.

He graduated from Kansas State University and Washburn University School of Law. He worked as a prosecutor and in private practice before being appointed district judge.

Sexton grew up on a farm at Abilene.

“I knew what I wanted to be from a very young age,” he said. “Then my brother Dave went into law school, and I kind of followed.”

One of the most memorable cases he presided over was a murder trial that had a “gotcha” moment, he said.

As for his appointment as a chief judge, he doesn’t consider the people he works with to be “working for” him and feels blessed to work with the people he does.