Yearout named magistrate judge

Former Deputy Jackson County Attorney Brian Yearout has been selected to succeed longtime Kansas Second Judicial District Judge Dennis Reiling as magistrate judge in Jefferson County, it has been reported.

Yearout, who currently serves as deputy county attorney for Pottawatomie County, will be sworn in as magistrate judge on Monday, Jan. 13, when Reiling’s term as judge expires. Reiling is retiring as a judge after serving in that capacity for more than 50 years, first as a Jefferson County probate judge and then as Second Judicial District magistrate judge.

“I appreciate the trust that has been placed in me to fill Judge Reiling’s shoes,” said Yearout, who was chosen by the Second District Nominating Commission from a field of 10 candidates following a series of candidate interviews held Wednesday, Nov. 20 at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Oskaloosa.

Yearout said he plans to bring his experience as a litigation attorney to the courtroom, which will give him “a head start” on his duties as a Second District magistrate judge, serving Jackson, Jefferson, Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee counties.

“As a prosecutor I have always viewed each case on its own merits,” he said. “Behind every court filing is a person or people that should not be forgotten in the shuffle of court proceedings. My goal is to use common sense and my legal experience to make fair decisions based on the totality of the circumstances presented. I have always been a public servant and I find fulfillment in working to help others, and that is the reason I applied for the position.”

A 2008 graduate of Wellington High School, Yearout took courses through The University of Kansas and Dodge City Community College, earning an associate of science degree from the latter in May 2011. He then moved to Topeka, where he currently continues to reside, attending Washburn University and earning his bachelor of science degree in May 2013 and his juris doctorate in December 2015.

Yearout joined the Jackson County Attorney’s Office under then-County Attorney Shawna Miller in April 2016 as a legal intern. He was named assistant county attorney the following September, when he was granted his license to practice law in Kansas, then was named deputy county attorney that December and served in that position until joining the Pottawatomie County Attorney’s Office in June 2018.

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