Mayor, retired court clerk to serve as honorary bailiff for Supreme Court special session in Logan

TOPEKA—Debra Grammon says she won’t be nervous serving as honorary bailiff for the Kansas Supreme Court when it visits Logan in April.

Grammon served 24 years as court clerk for the Phillips County District Court before she retired in September 2024. She said it was good preparation for serving as bailiff.

As bailiff, Grammon will call the audience to order at 10 a.m. for the Kansas Supreme Court’s special session Tuesday, April 29. It will take place at the Logan Intergenerational Family Education Center, also known as the LIFE Center.

Grammon nominated by chief judge

Grammon said she was surprised and honored when she learned she had been nominated to serve as the honorary bailiff for the Supreme Court.

She was nominated by Chief Judge Paula Hofaker, 17th Judicial District, who has known and worked with Grammon for more than 25 years. She said she nominated Grammon because of her contributions to the courts and the city of Logan.

“Deb has contributed many years of valuable service to the legal community as clerk for the Phillips County District Court and also as mayor of Logan,” Hofaker said. “She always makes sure her community is successful in whatever project it takes on.”

Grammon’s many community roles

Grammon was the Logan city clerk for 13 years before taking a job with the Kansas court system. As part of her city clerk duties, Grammon also served as the municipal court clerk, which she says sparked her interest in working for the district court.

“The district court clerk position opened, so I decided to give it a try,” she said. “I loved it. My favorite duties included processing traffic tickets and payments, preparing for jury trials, celebrating adoptions, and seeing the judicial process flow from beginning to end.”

Away from court, Grammon has been busy serving on the Logan City Council and is in her second term as mayor. She watched as the multigenerational education and nursing facility known as the LIFE Center was built.

The Supreme Court special session will be in the gymnasium used for large events involving students and senior residents. Grammon said the court’s visit is a great opportunity for Logan.

“It’s good for children and the community to see how the court is run,” she said. “I think it will be very informative for them.”

Supreme Court special session

The court will visit the LIFE Center, 601 W. North Street, where it will hear oral argument in one case. Before oral argument, Chief Justice Marla Luckert will give a brief educational presentation on the Kansas court system.

Doors will open at 8:15 a.m. and the presentation will start at 9:30 a.m. The court will be in session to hear oral argument from 10 a.m. to about 10:45 a.m. After oral argument, the justices will greet in-person attendees in an informal reception.

Students from area high schools are invited to attend the special session in person, as are members of communities in the region.

To learn about the special session and the case to be heard, visit kscourts.gov/travel-docket.