TOPEKA—Retired Johnson County District Court Judge Stephen Tatum was recognized by his peers at a recent judges conference for demonstrating extraordinary leadership and service.
Tatum was given the Community Outreach and Education Award by the Kansas District Judges Association at a statewide conference for judges last month in Overland Park. The award was presented to Tatum by Lawton Nuss, chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court.
The Community Outreach and Education Award is given annually to a member of the Kansas judiciary who demonstrates extraordinary leadership and service in educating the public about courts and the judicial branch, with emphasis on developing public trust and confidence, and supporting access to justice and fairness.
"There are so many judges deserving of this award that I'm humbled and grateful to be selected to receive it," Tatum said.
Although Tatum retired from his judge position with Johnson County District Court in 2013, he continues to work as a temporary judge in the criminal courts and to serve on the Johnson County Criminal Justice Advisory Council and on the Johnson County Bar Association board of directors.
Tatum served eight years on the domestic violence court that he launched in 1996. The collaborative effort involved the court, community corrections, a domestic violence shelter, the district attorney's office, and the sheriff. This occurred at about the same time Kansas passed a law that required law enforcement to make an arrest if there was evidence of domestic violence, rather than on the victim's request that the perpetrator be charged.
"We focused on victim support and education. We made sure that victims of domestic violence were made aware of resources available in the community," Tatum said.
Domestic violence victims appearing in court were assigned a victim's assistant to appear with them and victims were allowed to speak during the proceedings. This gave the judge more information on which to base decisions for establishing bond and to issue no-contact orders.
Another of Tatum's achievements is his involvement in the program Changing Lives Through Literature, which was made a condition of some offenders' probation. A probationer who participates in the program meets weekly with a group of other probationers, a probation officer, a judge, and a retired professor who acts as facilitator. During two-hour meetings over the course of seven weeks, the probationers discuss literature they are assigned to read.
"When probationers start talking about their lives in relationship to the stories they are reading, it expands their world view," Tatum said. "They begin to see how they fit into the world, and they learn how others work through their problems. Soon, they start making better choices."
Also among Tatum's achievements is his involvement with Habitat for Humanity, where he volunteered for 10 years. Under the banner of the Johnson County Bar Association, Tatum recruited lawyer and judge volunteers from the association's membership. For four weekends in September and October, the volunteers would help build or paint houses, or clean brush from around houses.
"When you're accustomed to working at a desk, a little physical labor goes a long way," Tatum said. "Despite the demands of the work, though, we always had good participation by lawyers and judges in our group. It was a great way to be of service and to connect with the community."
Tatum served as judge for the Johnson County District Court from 1994 to 2013 and as chief judge from 2004 to 2010. Before he became a judge, he was a corporate attorney and assistant district attorney in Sedgwick and Johnson counties. He is a graduate of the Washburn University School of Law.