Kansas Supreme Court Decisions

Located in Topeka, the Kansas Supreme Court consists of seven justices who serve six-year terms. State law imposes a mandatory retirement age of 70 on each justice, although they can finish an ongoing term if they turn 70 before it ends. To be eligible to serve on the Kansas Supreme Court, a candidate must be at least 30 years old and have actively and continuously practiced law in Kansas for at least 10 years. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Chief Justice of the Court is determined by seniority. In other words, when the current Chief Justice retires, the remaining justice who has served for the longest time on the Court succeeds them automatically.

Rather than electing justices to the Supreme Court, Kansas uses an appointment procedure that is facilitated by a selection commission. Members of the Supreme Court Nominating Commission represent each congressional district in Kansas. The Commission starts the process of selecting a new justice by choosing three candidates to recommend to the Governor of Kansas. The Governor will appoint one of the candidates. A new justice must go through a retention election one year after they are appointed. If they survive the retention election, they can serve a six-year term.

Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution outlines the three methods for removing a justice from the Supreme Court. First, a justice may be removed through an impeachment process if they are found to have engaged in misconduct. The Supreme Court also has the discretion to remove a justice if the commission on judicial qualifications recommends their removal. Finally, the Governor of Kansas has the authority to remove a justice if they become incapacitated.

Browse Opinions From the Kansas Supreme Court
Recent Decisions From the Kansas Supreme Court
State v. White  
Date: August 5, 2022
 Docket Number: 122039

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, holding that Defendant was not entitled to relief on any of his claims of error. Specifically, the Supreme Court held (1)…

Bruce v. Kelly  
Date: August 5, 2022
 Docket Number: 124415

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court held that Kan. Stat. Ann. 74-2113 defines the rank of major within the classified service under the Kansas Civil Service Act (KCSA), Kan. Stat. Ann. 75-2925 et seq., and that K.A.R. 1-7-4 does not…

In re Borich
Date: August 5, 2022
 Docket Number: 124867
State v. Brown  
Date: July 29, 2022
 Docket Number: 121269

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions of first-degree murder and other crimes, holding that an assumed error and a prosecutorial error occurred in the proceedings below, but those errors did not require a…

State v. Bates  
Date: July 29, 2022
 Docket Number: 122128

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the judgment of the district court denying Defendant's motion to suppress evidence obtained during a search that led to the State charging…

State v. Betts  
Date: July 29, 2022
 Docket Number: 122268

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court dismissing this case on the grounds that state law immunized Whichita Police Officer Dexter Betts's use of deadly force in self-defense, holding that Kan.…

State v. Genson  
Date: July 29, 2022
 Docket Number: 124014

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the judgment of the district court convicting Defendant of violating the Kansas Offender Registration Act (KORA) by failing to register, holding…

State v. Collier  
Date: July 15, 2022
 Docket Number: 124047

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court denying Appellant's second pro se motion to correct an illegal sentence for offenses he committed in 1993, holding that the trial court correctly sentenced…

In re Whinery
Date: July 15, 2022
 Docket Number: 124958
State v. Mulleneaux  
Date: July 8, 2022
 Docket Number: 121503

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals reversing the decision of the trial court judge dismissing this case with prejudice after suppressing evidence as a discovery sanction, holding that, under…

Delaware Township v. City of Lansing  
Date: July 8, 2022
 Docket Number: 122582

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the rulings of the lower courts against the City of Lansing in this dispute between municipalities in Leavenworth Country over the future and assets of a fire district, holding that an…

In re Pistotnik
Date: July 8, 2022
 Docket Number: 124868
In re Renkemeyer
Date: July 6, 2022
 Docket Number: 17913
State v. Valdez  
Date: July 1, 2022
 Docket Number: 121053

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the judgment of a panel of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's conviction of possession of more than 3.5 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute,…

In re Equalization Appeal of Walmart Stores, Inc.  
Date: July 1, 2022
 Docket Number: 122162

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Board of Tax Appeals (BOTA) concluding that Johnson County's valuations for the 2016 and 2017 tax years involving eleven Walmart and Sam's Club "big box" stores in the…

The opinions published on Justia State Caselaw are sourced from individual state court sites. These court opinions may not be the official published versions, and you should check your local court rules before citing to them. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site, or the information linked to on the state site.