Johnson County voters will decide whether to retain District Court Judge Jacquelyn E. Rokusek on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Rokusek holds the District 10, Division 19 seat on the Kansas District Court. The nonpartisan retention question asks voters simply whether to keep her on the bench. Governor Laura Kelly appointed Rokusek on Sept. 1, 2020, according to the Johnson County District Court's judicial profile. Her current term ends in 2027, according to the Johnson County Election Office.

Candidate information

  • Residence: Shawnee, Kansas
  • Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas
  • Family: Married with three children
  • Education: Bachelor of fine arts in communication, Emporia State University (1988); juris doctor, Washburn School of Law, Topeka (1994)
  • Awards: Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers "Champion of Justice" Award for outstanding contributions to criminal defense (2021); Super Lawyer distinction (2012–2019)

Experience and public service

Before joining the bench, Rokusek spent more than two decades practicing law in Kansas. She served as an assistant district attorney at the Johnson County District Attorney's Office from 1994 to 1999, according to the court's profile. She then worked as a special assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas from 1999 to 2001.

Rokusek went on to become managing partner at Rokusek Law Office, later known as Rokusek Stein Law LLC, from 2005 until her appointment to the bench in 2020.

She has been a fellow of the Johnson County Bar Association since 2009 and a master of the bench at the Earl E. O'Connor American Inn of Court since 2006. She chairs the Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution for an appointed term running 2023 to 2026. She also chairs the Johnson County Law Library Board of Trustees, where she has served as the 10th Judicial District member since 2021.

Rokusek serves as a judicial advisor to the Johnson County Protective Order Process Group. She sits on the executive board and legislative committee of the Kansas District Judge's Association and serves on the Johnson County Juvenile Treatment Court. She became president of the Family Law Inn of Court in 2025.

She is also a member of the Kansas Bar Association, the Kansas Women's Attorney Association and the Kansas Closed Case Task Force. She joined the Johnson County Bar Foundation and ALL RISE in 2026.

This profile was built from publicly available records, including the Johnson County District Court judicial biography and the Johnson County Election Office. No candidate questionnaire responses were available for this race. Voters can find additional information through the Johnson County Election Office.