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.
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Recent Decisions From the Kansas Supreme Court
Date: March 15, 2024
Docket Number: 123650
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…
Date: March 15, 2024
Docket Number: 124412
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…
Date: March 15, 2024
Docket Number: 124607
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…
Date: March 15, 2024
Docket Number: 125632
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…
Date: March 15, 2024
Docket Number: 125637
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…
Date: March 8, 2024
Docket Number: 120994
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…
Date: March 8, 2024
Docket Number: 123797
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…
Date: March 1, 2024
Docket Number: 122246
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…
Date: March 1, 2024
Docket Number: 124676
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…
Date: March 1, 2024
Docket Number: 125104
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…
Date: February 23, 2024
Docket Number: 124535
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…
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