January 2020 News Releases

01/24/2020
Evelyn Wilson to be sworn in as justice on Supreme Court
TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court will meet in special session at 2 p.m. Friday, January 24, to swear in Evelyn Wilson as the newest Supreme Court justice.Wilson fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Lee Johnson in September.Chief Justice Marla Luckert will preside at the ceremony.Wilson will be presented to the court by Natalie ...
01/24/2020
Anderson appointed chief judge of 3rd Judicial District; other chief judges reappointed
TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court has appointed District Judge Richard Anderson as chief judge of the 3rd Judicial District effective January 24 through December 31, 2021.Anderson succeeds Judge Evelyn Wilson, who will be sworn in January 24 as a Supreme Court justice. She had served as chief judge since 2014.The 3rd Judicial District is ...
01/23/2020
Chief Judge Jeffrey Gettler to sit with Supreme Court January 28
TOPEKA— Chief Judge Jeffrey Gettler of the 14th Judicial District has been appointed to sit with the Kansas Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in two cases on the court's January 28 docket.After hearing oral arguments, Gettler will join Supreme Court justices in their deliberations and decision drafting."The Supreme Court looks ...
01/23/2020
District Judge John Weingart to sit with Supreme Court January 30
TOPEKA—District Judge John Weingart of the 22nd Judicial District has been appointed to sit with the Kansas Supreme Court to hear oral arguments on the court's January 30 docket.After hearing oral arguments, Weingart will join Supreme Court justices in their deliberations and decision drafting."The Supreme Court looks forward to ...
01/22/2020
Supreme Court dismisses judicial branch funding case
TOPEKA―The Kansas Supreme Court issued an order today dismissing a case brought by several trial judges and a court employee against the Kansas Legislature asking the court to compel the Legislature to fully fund the judicial branch's budget requests in fiscal years 2020 and 2021.In making its ruling, the court looked to similar cases in other ...
01/21/2020
25th Judicial District Nominating Commission to interview nominees for magistrate judge vacancy in Finney County
TOPEKA—The 25th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene Friday, February 7, to interview nominees to fill a district magistrate judge vacancy in Finney County.The vacancy was created when District Magistrate Judge Christopher Sanders was named to succeed District Judge Michael Quint, who retired December 27.The 25th Judicial ...
01/17/2020
Supreme Court Nominating Commission selects nominees to send to governor
TOPEKA — The Supreme Court Nominating Commission today voted on the names of three nominees for Supreme Court justice to send to Gov. Laura Kelly.Because the governor's office is closed today due to weather and Monday due to a state holiday, the official delivery of the nominees names to the governor will take place Tuesday.The governor ...
01/16/2020
Regine Thompson selected for district magistrate judge vacancy in Republic County
TOPEKA—The 12th Judicial District Nominating Commission has selected Regine Thompson to fill a magistrate judge vacancy in Republic County.The commission conducted public interviews of nominees for the position January 16 in Belleville. Three people had applied for the opening.The vacancy was created by the resignation of District Magistrate ...
01/10/2020
11th Judicial District Nominating Commission submits nominees for district judge vacancy to governor
TOPEKA—The 11th Judicial District Nominating Commission has sent the names of three nominees for district judge to Gov. Laura Kelly, who has 60 days to decide who will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jeffry Jack.The 11th Judicial District is composed of Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette counties.The three nominees are ...
01/09/2020
3rd Judicial District Nominating Commission seeks nominees for judge vacancy
TOPEKA—The 3rd Judicial District Nominating Commission is seeking nominations to fill a district judge vacancy in Shawnee County created when Chief Judge Evelyn Wilson leaves her position to become a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court on January 24.Justice Caleb Stegall, the Supreme Court departmental justice responsible for the 3rd Judicial ...
01/07/2020
New Supreme Court justice to be sworn in January 24
TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court will meet in special session at 2 p.m. Friday, January 24, to swear in Evelyn Wilson, who is filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Lee Johnson.Chief Justice Marla Luckert will preside at the ceremony.Wilson currently serves as chief judge of the 3rd Judicial District, which is composed of ...
01/06/2020
Court of Appeals Judge G. Joseph Pierron Jr. to retire
TOPEKA —The longest-tenured judge to serve on the Kansas Court of Appeals will retire April 3.Judge G. Joseph Pierron Jr., 72, joined the court in December 1990. Since then, he has written 392 published opinions and heard thousands of appeals."A lot of cases are routine. Criminal cases might not be exciting, but they're important to ...