Kansas Judges

How Kansas selects, elects and/or retains judges has been a topic of much discussion of late. Below are links to some basic resources on judges and the courts within our state:

Kansas Courts: General Information
http://www.kscourts.org/kansas-courts/general-information/
(A short look at the different levels of courts in Kansas and what kinds of cases they handle. Provided at the Kansas Judicial Branch website)

Kansas Court System Chart
http://www.kscourts.org/pdf/ctchart.pdf
(A visual description of the levels of courts provided at the Kansas Judicial Branch website)

Becoming a Judge
http://www.kscourts.org/kansas-courts/general-information/you-and-the-courts/becoming-Judge.asp
(A short explanation regarding selection, appointment and retention of judges in Kansas. Provided at the Kansas Judicial Branch website)

Kansas Commission on Judicial Performance
http://kansasjudicialperformance.org/
(The Kansas Commission on Judicial Performance was created in 2006 by the Kansas Legislature to improve the performance of individual judges and the judiciary as a whole. The Commission's evaluations of all of the state court trial and appellate judges are provided to the judges and justices for self-improvement. In addition, for judges and justices who are subject to retention elections, the Commission's evaluations are disseminated to the public to help voters make informed decisions about whether to continue those judges and justices in office)

Other Helpful Sites at the Judicial Branch Website:
--Annual Reports for the Courts of Kansas
--Judicial Branch Open Records Requests
--Judicial Complaint Procedure
--Judicial Ethics Advisory Opinions
--Rules Adopted by the Supreme Court
--Supreme Court Nominating Commission

Kansas State Constitution: Article 3
The Judicial Branch
http://kslib.info/constitution/art3.html
(From the State Library of Kansas website)

Judicial Selection and Retention FAQs
http://www.ncsconline.org/WC/CourTopics/FAQs.asp?topic=JudSel#FAQ623
(A comparative look at the selection/election of judges in U.S. states at the National Center for State Courts website)

Resources Available via ATLAS, the Online Catalog of the State Library, Washburn Univeristy, Kansas Supreme Court and the Kansas State Historical Society:
Courts -- Kansas
Judges -- Kansas
Judges -- Selection and appointment -- Kansas
Judicial districts -- Kansas

Article contact: Bill Sowers
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