TOPEKA—Hon. J. Patrick Brazil, Chief Judge of the Kansas Court of Appeals since 1995, announced today he is not seeking retention for another four-year term. Today's announcement will mark the conclusion of 28 years as a Kansas judge, including 15 years on the appellate court and 13 as a state district judge in Eureka.
Reflecting on his career, Judge Brazil said that our system of justice, like democracy, is not perfect but it is the best system that has ever been created.
"The ultimate goal of our legal system is to achieve justice in human conflict. As a trial judge, I tried to do that by assuring every person a fair, if not perfect, trial."
"Similarly, as a judge of the Court of Appeals, I have reviewed the records of the trial court to find and correct serious or reversible error, not necessarily all error."
During his tenure as chief judge, the court has concentrated on addressing the huge backlog of appeals caused by the 1993 enactment of the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Act. "With the help of many people, we have eliminated the backlog and drastic ally reduced the delay in deciding the appeals."
"But," he said, "to remain current we are continuing to rely more and more on the help of district judges." Following the recommendations of the Kansas Citizens Justice Initiative report, and based on his own knowledge of the needs of the court, he plans to urge the legislature next year to approve four additional judges for the court.
Born in Pittsburg, Chief Judge Brazil attended Chanute Junior College (now Neosho County Community College) and received a B.S.B.A. degree from Rockhurst College, Kansas City, Missouri, in 1957. He received his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1962. Judge Brazil was appointed Chief Judge June 1, 1995.
He was a state district judge from 1972 until his appellate court appointment on December 11, 1985. Prior to that, he practiced law in Pratt and Eureka.
Brazil believes that any system of justice is only as good as the judges and lawyers in the system. For that reason, he has been a member of the Kansas Commission on Judicial Qualifications since 1985. The Commission reviews complaints filed agai nst judges and makes recommendations to the Supreme Court for appropriate sanctions or removal from office when judges have violated the Code of Judicial Ethics. "I have always been impressed with the dedication of the judges, lawyers and citizens who ha ve served on the Commission." Brazil was chairman of the Commission from 1991 to 1994, and has presented programs on judicial ethics statewide and nationally.
More recently, Brazil has been interested in the growth of the Inns of Court program in the United States. "It is a program that brings judges and older lawyers together with newer lawyers and law students in a mentoring relation that is dedicated to the preservation of professionalism and ethics in the legal profession." He is a charter member and past president of the Sam A. Crow Inn of Court in Topeka.
He has served in the officer positions of the Kansas District Judges Association, including president from 1980-1981. He was a member of the Advisory Committee of the Kansas Judicial Council for Civil and Criminal Pattern Instructions for Kansas from 1983 to 1995. He served on the Kansas Continuing Legal Education Commission from its creation in 1985 to July 1, 1991.
While on the district court bench, he was active in the national Conference of State Trial Judges and served as chairman and vice chairman of several of that organization's committees.
Judge Brazil is currently a member and officer of the National Conference of Chief Judges. In 1994, he received an Outstanding Service Award conferred by the Kansas Bar Association.
Looking back at his 15 years on the Court of Appeals, he is reminded of all the judges, law clerks and staff that he has worked with. "It has been an honor and privilege to know and work with such dedicated and good people. Like so many of my friends in the 13th Judicial District, as well as many lawyers and judges across the state, I think of the Court as family."
Brazil is a member of Topeka South Rotary. He and his wife, Char, belong to Christ the King Catholic Church in Topeka. They have two children, Michelle, an attorney for Sprint, and Jody, a Senior Sales Engineer for Fish Net Security. They are both married and living in Johnson County.