Rule 1201: Municipal Court Judges Education Committee

A Municipal Court Judges Education Committee is hereby established for the purpose of recommending and organizing education and training programs for Kansas municipal judges. Such programs shall be designed to accomplish the following goals:

A.   To educate municipal judges regarding the knowledge, skills, and techniques required to perform judicial responsibilities fairly, correctly, and efficiently.

B.   To improve the administration of justice, reduce court delay, and promote fair and efficient management of all court proceedings.

This committee shall also be responsible for the certification and training of municipal judges as required by K.S.A. 12-4114.

The membership of the Municipal Judges Education Committee shall be composed of eight municipal court judges and one nonvoting representative of the Office of Judicial Administration. In addition, the president and immediate past-president of the Kansas Municipal Judges Association shall serve on the Municipal Court Judges Education Committee for the duration of their Association terms of office.

All members of the Municipal Court Judges Education Committee other than the president and immediate past-president of the Kansas Municipal Judges Association shall be appointed by the Supreme Court. The terms of the inaugural members of the Committee shall be staggered: The terms of three members shall be three years, the terms of three members shall be two years, and the terms of two members shall be one year. These inaugural members are eligible to serve a second term. At the expiration of the terms of these inaugural members, the term of each succeeding member of the Committee shall be three years. With the exception of the representative of the Office of Judicial Administration and a member whose service on the Committee begins with the completion of another’s unexpired term, no member of the Committee shall be eligible for more than two consecutive terms. Should a municipal court judge not complete a term for any reason, a new member shall be appointed to complete the unexpired term. The new member shall be eligible to serve two more full consecutive terms. A municipal court judge may serve one or more additional terms after a break in service.

In addition to the membership described above, the nonvoting Chair of the Municipal Court Judges Education Committee shall be the Supreme Court Justice who serves as liaison to the Committee, as designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Chair shall be not subject to a term limit.

[History: New rule adopted effective July 1, 2012.]