Judge Befort was appointed to Division 15 of the Third Judicial District bench in 2023. Born in Hays, Kansas, he graduated from Fort Hays State University with a degree in history and then graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 1991. His career prior to appointment to the bench involved both state and federal practice starting with the Kansas Department of Revenue and the U.S. Department of Justice for which he served as an Assistant United States Bankruptcy Trustee and Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Kansas. After opening a private practice law firm in Topeka using the experience gained in multiple-year careers in state and federal government practice, he returned to government practice serving as general counsel for the Office of the State Bank Commissioner and finally to the Kansas Department of Revenue to serve as deputy and general counsel and again as a special assistant attorney general representing the agency in various litigation and legislative matters. Having published articles in the ABI Journal and other legal publications, Judge Befort has made presentations at bar associations in Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City, the National Association of Attorneys General/States' Association of Bankruptcy Attorneys, the Multistate Tax Commission, and taught as an adjunct faculty member at Washburn University in Topeka. He enjoys membership in the Topeka and Kansas Bar Associations. He and his wife have two grown daughters.
