Kansas Supreme Court Decisions 2024

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around a dispute over the ownership of a purebred show dog named Oscar. The parties involved are Oscar's breeder, Elizabeth "Betsy" Shauck, and Dave Jennings and Emily McLeod, who have raised Oscar…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a juvenile, J.L.J., who was charged with first-degree felony murder and several other offenses after he opened fire on a car, killing a 12-year-old boy. J.L.J. was certified for adult prosecution and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Jose Garcia-Martinez, who was convicted for first-degree felony murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, and battery. The incident occurred on July 1, 2020, when Garcia-Martinez and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around William P. Spangler, who was initially convicted of second-degree murder for his role in the shooting death of Faustino Martinez. After serving a prison term longer than his sentence, Spangler…

Justia Opinion Summary: Shana L. Jarmer was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) after failing a breath alcohol test. At the time of the arrest, Jarmer was in the driver's seat of a vehicle stuck in a muddy ditch. Despite her efforts…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Kansas affirmed the conviction of Kylie Jo Elizabeth Waldschmidt for aiding and abetting felony murder and interference with a law enforcement officer. Waldschmidt was involved in a romantic…

Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around Gerald D. Hambright, who was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, specifically a dagger, as a felon. The charge was based on an encounter with a sheriff's deputy, during which Hambright…

Justia Opinion Summary: Tracey Murray and the Estate of Robert Murray filed a lawsuit against Miracorp, Inc., NTTS, Inc., Lane Goebel, and Shane Goebel, alleging both legal and equitable claims based on conduct that took place before 2012. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Carol Sue Burris was convicted of mistreatment of a dependent adult and the second-degree reckless murder of her husband, Michael Burris, who suffered from dementia and other significant health issues. Carol, as…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas, the appellant, Gabrielle Griffie, appealed her conviction for unlawful assembly under Wichita Municipal Code of Ordinances (W.M.O.) § 5.73.030(1). The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In Kansas, Miles Loren Martin was convicted of possession of methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance without a drug-tax stamp. Martin appealed, arguing that these convictions violated constitutional…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this decision from the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas, the defendant, Jerome Edwards, appealed the denial of his 2022 motion for DNA testing. Edwards had previously filed similar motions in 2011, 2018, and 2022…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case from the Supreme Court of Kansas, the defendant, D.W., was convicted of premeditated first-degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle. The defendant was in the passenger seat of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of Kansas, the appellant, Paul Guebara, was convicted of attempted first-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. Guebara had stipulated that he had previously…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of the State of Kansas reversed a lower court's decision, holding that a warrantless traffic stop and subsequent search of a vehicle was unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. The case involved…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case revolves around whether the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas can exercise jurisdiction over an appeal that was not filed within the statutory time limit. The appellant, Leroy L. Perry, was convicted of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas, the appellant, the State of Kansas, challenged a trial court's decision to suppress the confession of a minor identified as G.O. The trial court had determined…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Kansas affirmed the convictions of Todge Anton Anderson for first-degree felony murder, second-degree intentional murder, aggravated robbery, distributing or possessing with intent to distribute a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In Kansas, Richard Daniel Showalter was convicted of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and aggravated burglary. Showalter appealed his convictions, arguing that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the defendant, Joshua F. Sinnard, was charged with commercial sexual exploitation of a child after arranging to have sex with a 17-year-old in exchange for money. Sinnard contested the district court's…

Justia Opinion Summary: In Kansas, the appellant, Darnell D. Coleman, was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and appealed his conviction. He raised four issues on appeal: (1) the prosecutors made incorrect statements of law and fact…

Justia Opinion Summary: Cardell Turner was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in relation to an incident where he pointed a gun at two individuals, but the gun did not fire.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a dispute originating from a domestic incident in 2016, Michael David Sims was convicted by a jury of multiple crimes, including felony interference with law enforcement. Sims appealed this conviction arguing that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The defendant, Kyle Trevor Flack, was convicted of capital murder, first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and criminal possession of a firearm. The jury sentenced him to death after finding two aggravating factors…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the State of Kansas v. Frank Raymond Crudo, the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas affirmed the decisions of the lower courts, ruling against Crudo on all five arguments he presented. Crudo was pulled over for a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Kansas reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals, which had overturned Mark Scheetz's convictions for aggravated criminal sodomy, rape, sexual exploitation of a child, and victim intimidation.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case before the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas, the defendant, Kristoffer L. Klesath, appealed his convictions for first-degree felony murder, intentional second-degree murder, and aggravated robbery. Klesath…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a dispute between Timothy Towne and the Unified School District No. 259, the Supreme Court of the State of Kansas reversed the lower courts' rulings, finding that self-insured school districts are not exempt from…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of the State of Kansas has upheld the decision of the lower courts in a case involving a plaintiff, Jason Unruh, who alleged that the City of Wichita police officers used excessive force during his…