LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Governor Greg Abbott has appointed longtime Assistant District Attorney Laura Beth Fossett as the new judge of the 137th District Court.

Fossett will fill the vacancy left by Judge Trey McClendon, who retired on August 7 after serving over the 137th District Court for nearly 16 years.

She will serve the remainder of Judge McClendon's term before starting her own full, elected term on January 1, 2027.