Longtime Lubbock District Judge John "Trey" McClendon has announced his retirement, effective Friday, Aug. 7.
A reception in his honor is set for 3 p.m. Friday in the 137th District Courtroom, according to a news release from the Lubbock County Court Administration Office.
McClendon has presided over the 137th District Court since 2011 after running unopposed in the 2010 general election, unseating incumbent judge Cecil Puryear in the primary election earlier that year.
Reflecting on his time in office, McClendon expressed profound gratitude for the colleagues, professionals, and local legal community who supported his tenure.
"Serving the people of Lubbock County has been the honor of a lifetime," said Judge McClendon in a statement. "I am incredibly
proud to have served in a courthouse alongside so many excellent lawyers and judges. I want to extend my deepest thanks to my fellow judges for their camaraderie and wisdom, and to our incredible court staff whose dedication keeps our justice system moving. I owe a special debt of gratitude to my longtime court coordinator, Audrey Beckham, and my court reporter, Breann Luna, for their exceptional loyalty and hard work. Audrey has been working with me since 1998 and has been a constant source of support and friendship."
A Lubbock native, McClendon graduated from Lubbock High School in 1986 as part of the Lubbock Exemplary Academic Program's third class.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and obtained his law degree from the Texas Tech University School of Law in 1994.
He worked as a law clerk for the Seventh Court of Appeals in Amarillo, The State Bar of Texas.
From 1995 to 1998, he served as a Lubbock County prosecutor under his friend, then District Attorney and future judicial colleague, Bill Sowder, according to the release.
After serving the county as a prosecutor, he entered private practice working alongside his father and brother in their family-shared offices.
Aside from presiding over felony cases in the 137th District Court, McClendon dedicated nearly 12 years as judge of the Lubbock County DWI Recovery Court, a specialty court aimed at guiding probationers recovering from alcoholism.
McClendon plans to spend his retirement working as a visiting judge, a mediator and helping a good friend with his growing business, according to the release.
He also looks forward to spending more time traveling with his wife of two decades, Christy, and indulging in his hobbies, which include hunting, fishing, and chasing behind his beloved bird dogs, the release states.
Meanwhile, McClendon shared his optimism for the future of the court, noting his great happiness that his good friend and future colleague, Lubbock County prosecutor Laura Beth Fossett, will soon have the opportunity to sit as the new judge of the 137th District Court, the release states.
Fossett, who has worked at the Lubbock County District Attorney's Office since 2012, ran unopposed in the March republican primary and has no Democratic opponent in the November general election.
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: Longtime district judge John McClendon announces retirement
