Kelly Armstrong has selected Walsh County State’s Attorney Kelley Cole to fill a vacancy on the Northeast Judicial District bench, with her appointment taking effect Aug. 17. Cole has led the Walsh County State’s Attorney’s Office since 2017, first by appointment and later through election victories in 2018 and 2022. Before becoming state’s attorney, Cole spent a decade as an assistant state’s attorney in Walsh County and earlier worked as a deputy county attorney in Yuma County, Arizona. She has been active in the local legal community, serving as president of the Walsh County Bar Association and as a member of the area Domestic Violence Board. The position, based in Grafton, serves a judicial district that spans 11 counties.