Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Lubbock County prosecutor Laura Beth Fossett on Monday to serve as judge of the 137th District Court.
Fossett will serve the remainder of District Judge John "Trey" McClendon's term. McClendon who had been judge of the 137th District Cour since 2011, retired Friday.
The 137th District Court is one of three in Lubbock that primarily deals with criminal felony cases.
Fossett won the March Republican Primary election for judge of the court and is unopposed in the November general election. Her full elected term will begin Jan. 1, 2027.
Fossett grew up in Daingerfield and earned bachelor’s degree in business administration from Abilene Christian University before obtaining her law degree and master's degree in Business Administration
at Texas Tech University in 2011.
She briefly worked in the private sector and in 2012 joined the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office where she served as chief prosecutor of the 137th District Court.
In 2020, she was promoted to felony trial chief, supervising felony prosecutors of the county’s three district courts.
"For the past 14 years, I have had the privilege of serving the people of Lubbock County, and I am deeply honored for the opportunity to continue that service as Judge of the 137th District Court,” Fossett said. “Lubbock County is home to me and my family, and I look forward to continuing my service to this community and honoring the trust andresponsibility that comes with this office.”
Gabriel Monte is the criminal justice reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in Texas. Have a news tip for him? Email him at gmonte@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Gov. Abbott appoints Laura Beth Fossett to Lubbock District Court
