Submitted
The Honorable Steve Johnson, who has served the 20th Judicial District as District Judge, Division II, for the past 12 years, has announced his retirement. The 20th Judicial District includes Russell, Barton, Ellsworth, Rice and Stafford counties.
Judge Johnson took the bench on Jan. 13, 2013. His current term ends on Jan. 13, 2025, and he did not run for re-election.
He served in the capacity of chief judge from January 2021 through December of 2023. While serving as district judge, he had the honor of sitting with the Kansas Supreme Court on two different occasions. He also served on a panel with the Kansas Court of Appeals.
Johnson grew up on a small farm in Gove County and graduated from Healy High School and Fort Hays State University. He went on to earn his juris doctorate from the Washburn University School of Law. Prior to his time as judge, he was in private practice in Great Bend from 1985 to 2012 with Greg Bauer and Charles Pike.
Johnson expressed great appreciation for the opportunity to serve these communities as judge for this district. He indicated he will certainly miss the job that he has enjoyed so much and will also miss the people he has worked with on a day-to-day basis.
However, he is looking forward to retirement. He and his wife, Jil, have been married for 43 years and their children, Lyndsee and Mitch, both live in Kansas City. His retirement plans include seeing more of his family and friends, traveling, and many other activities and hobbies.