Laura Beth Fossett said she spent her time serving Lubbock County as a prosecutor giving a voice to victims of crimes that ranged from homicides to child sexual abuse.
If elected as district judge, she said everyone who enters her court will have a voice.
“As judge, I will work to make sure our courthouse is a place for everyone. I will not be swayed by politics, only by the facts and the law,” Fossett told a crowd of supporters who gathered Monday at the front lawn of the Lubbock County Courthouse where she announced her candidacy in the March 3 Republican Party Primary election for judge of the 137th District Court, currently presided over by District Judge John McClendon.
Prosecutor Laura Beth Fossett announced Monday at the front lawn of the Lubbock County Courthouse her candidacy in the March 2026 Republican Primary Elections for judge of the 137th District Court.
McClendon, who was elected to the bench in 2010 and began presiding over the court in 2011, said he is not seeking a fifth term.
The court is one of three district courts in Lubbock that specialize in felony criminal cases.
Fossett grew up in Daingerfield and earned bachelor’s degree in business administration from Abilene Christian University before obtaining her law degree and master’s degree in Business Administration at Texas Tech University in 2011.
She briefly worked in the private sector and in 2012 joined the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office where she served as chief prosecutor of the 137th District Court.
In 2020, she was promoted to felony trial chief, supervising felony prosecutors of the county’s three district courts.
Fossett said as judge she would ensure her court was an equal field that balances justice and mercy.
“Every person who enters the courtroom will be treated fairly with the presumption of innocence, unless and until proven guilty,” she said. “For those who commit crimes because of addiction or mental health struggles, I will strive to connect them with resources to rehabilitate them.
“But for those who prey on the vulnerable or who choose crime as an easy way out regardless of who gets hurt, they will be dealt with fairly but firmly. There is no place in our community for those who victimize others.”
Fossett said her tenure as a prosecutor wouldn’t affect her impartiality.
“I think I have a very good reputation among the defense bar as being one of those prosecutors who is fair and who will listen to both sides,” she said. “I will look at the facts, I will hear every single defense attorney out and I will apply the facts to that case and I will make the best decision based on the facts not on who is presenting the case.”
While the 137th District Court specializes in criminal cases, it also has a civil docket, primarily dealing in family law and divorce cases.
Fossett said that while she spent most of her career in criminal law, some of the cases she prosecuted, particularly child sex abuse crimes, often involved civil cases as well.
“I am prepared for those as well,” she said. ” I always love a learning opportunity, and I admit that I will have some things to learn in the civil realm. I also have a lot of friends and colleagues who have agreed to help mentor me if I have questions about civil law and I plan on reaching out to them.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock prosecutor announces bid for district judge