Out of the five applicants looking to fill Bartlesville's Municipal Judge role, former Bartlesville Vice Mayor Alan Gentges was appointed to the position out of executive session on Monday.

Gentges - who has served as a lawyer for over 30 years - hopes he can serve the City of Bartlesville well through his new role. With the unplanned passing of Judge Steve Conaster in December 2020, Gentges said he wanted to ensure that the transition in roles was smooth. He said they won't be changing much to begin with.

The first thing as judge that Gentges wants to focus on is making sure that they're doing justice and protecting everyone's rights while making proper decisions. Gentges said they normally deal with misdemeanor cases such as traffic and misdemeanor dockets, so they're not complicated cases other than the fact that it's typically an individual's first time in the judicial system. Because of that, Gentges said they want to make sure that the people coming through Municipal Court know that they're there to listen to them and not necessarily punish them; they're there to be fair and honest about the case.

On Tuesday Gentges shadowed interim Municipal Judge John Gerkin - who briefly returned from retirement after the passing of Judge Conatser - until an appointment could be made to fill the role. Gentges said he's know Gerkin since he practiced law in Tulsa many years ago. He said he has much respect for Gerkin who goes by the books and ran a very organized and respectful court.

Gentges said he's thankful that the Bartlesville City Council appointed him to fill the Municipal Judge seat. He said he was so ambivalent about leaving the Council to pursue the position because he loved being on the Council, but he believes he made the right decision and hopes he can properly serve the City of Bartlesville.

Gentges officially starts his tenure as Bartlesville Municipal Judge on Thursday.