TOPEKA—The Blue Ribbon Commission that will make a comprehensive study of the court system to assist the Supreme Court in finding improvements in the way the courts serve Kansans will conducts its organizational meeting in Topeka March 9.
The 24-member Commission's appointments were announced in January by Chief Justice Lawton R. Nuss. The membership includes legislative and executive branch appointees, as well as those appointed by the Supreme Court. The meeting will be in the Fatzer Courtroom in the Kansas Judicial Center, 301 SW 10th Ave.
The Commission potentially could recommend the most dramatic changes to the judicial branch of government since court unification in 1977, Chief Justice Nuss said. Named Commission chair is Court of Appeals Judge Patrick D. McAnany, a former two-term chief judge of the Johnson County District Court.
Judge McAnany said he views the Commission's work as an important and much-needed step in modernizing the state's courts to meet today's challenging economic conditions. "We may look to technology, such as electronic filing of court cases, staffing patterns, and a myriad of other things to undertake this comprehensive review," Judge McAnany said.
Agenda items will include the Supreme Court's charge to the Committee, which will be presented by Chief Justice Nuss. It is to include the Court's suggestions for undertaking the review, as well as a compilation of previous studies of the Kansas court system for the Commission's review. He said the Commission also will have the results of the weighted caseload study that is currently being conducted to assist it in developing the recommendations.
The chief justice said the Commission is authorized to consider such issues as the number of court locations needed to provide Kansans access to justice, the services to be provided in each court location, hours of operation, appropriate use of technology, cost containment or reductions, and flexibility in the use of human resources. But he said the Commission would not be limited to those subjects and will have the authority as its work progresses to review other operational efficiencies associated with the court system.
Once the Commission completes its work, a report to the Supreme Court will be submitted. It is expected the report will contain recommendations for action the Court can take on its own authority, as well as action that may require statutory or state constitutional change, He said the Commission will have authority as its work progresses to review other operational efficiencies associated with the court system.