TOPEKA—The Supreme Court has appointed Judge Thomas E. Malone as chief judge of the Court of Appeals, it was announced in Topeka today. He succeeds Hon. Richard D. Greene, who died October 7, 2012.
A native of Wichita, Chief Judge Malone has been a member of the Court of Appeals since 2003. He has been acting chief judge since Judge Greene became ill this summer.
The new chief judge said he is not planning major changes for the 13-member intermediate court of appeals, but wants to continue the excellence and national reputation the Kansas court has received for its timely disposition of appeals. Almost all appeals on the court are resolved within 60 days of being heard.
“Being designated chief judge of the Court of Appeals is an honor, and I thank the Supreme Court for its trust and confidence in appointing me to the position,” Chief Judge Malone said.
Judge Malone practiced law in Wichita for 12 years with Redmond & Nazar, L.L.P. from 1979 through 1990. He concentrated on business and commercial litigation in federal and state courts. During this time, he taught upper division Business Law at Newman University.
Chief Judge Malone was elected to the Sedgwick County district bench in 1990 and served as district judge 12 years. He was primarily a trial judge, presiding over more than 250 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials.
Judge Malone is a member of the Wichita Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association, American Bar Association, and the Kansas Association for Justice. He served on the Kansas Judicial Council: Pattern Instructions in Kansas Advisory Committee from 1999 to 2010. He also served on the Board of Editors of the Kansas Bar Association Journal from 2002 to 2009. In 2011, Judge Malone was appointed to the Kansas Board of Law Examiners. Judge Malone has published numerous law journal articles, and he is a frequent speaker at seminars sponsored by the Wichita Bar Association, the Kansas Bar Association, and the Kansas Association for Justice.
A 1976 graduate of Newman University, Judge Malone received his law degree from the Washburn University School of Law in 1979. He and his wife, Anne, have three grown children. He is active in many civic and church organizations in Wichita and Topeka.