Submitted

The Kansas Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments at five Kansas colleges on Tuesday, April 14. Panels will conduct appellate hearings at Washburn University School of Law and four community colleges throughout the state:

• Colby Community College

• Garden City Community College

• Highland Community College

• Independence Community College

Chief Judge Sarah Warner explained that these oral arguments are part of a broader effort by the Court of Appeals to bring the work of the appellate court to Kansas communities, especially to people who live in rural areas of the state.

“I love that we’re able to bring the court to so many people and places on the same day,” Warner said. “Our goal is to give as many students and communities as possible the opportunity to learn more about the appellate courts and appellate process.”

Warner added that these efforts are part of a larger movement in the Kansas judicial branch to encourage people who want to live and work in rural Kansas to consider a career in the justice system.

“These oral arguments and discussions will be a great way to see what Kansas attorneys, judges, and other court employees do,” Warner said. “We hope to inspire present and future generations to serve their communities in this important way.”

The court has invited district court judges from surrounding areas to join each Court of Appeals panel sitting at a community college. In addition to their personal expertise on the bench, these local judges will provide additional insight into the work of the judicial branch throughout Kansas.

At each school, a panel of three judges will hear oral arguments in two cases starting at 9:30 a.m. Oral arguments are open to the public and students. At the conclusion of oral arguments, the judges will talk and answer questions from students and the public about the Court of Appeals and the appeals process.

Warner also thanked the colleges and communities that host and support the special travel dockets, as well as the local district courts, chief judges, and appointed district court judges who will sit with the panels.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to bring the court to so many Kansans,” Warner said.

Oral argument

Attorneys for each side will have 15 minutes to present their arguments and answer questions from the judges. The panel will then take each case under consideration and issue a written decision usually within 60 days of oral argument.

There are 14 judges on the Court of Appeals. Usually, they sit in panels of three to hear arguments and decide cases.

Panels

Judge Angela Coble will serve as the presiding judge for the docket at Colby Community College, Colby. She will be joined by Judge Jacy Hurst and District Judge Paula Hofaker, 17th Judicial District, which is composed of Decatur, Graham, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, and Smith counties. Hofaker joins the panel through a special appointment.

Judge Rachel Pickering will serve as the presiding judge for the docket at Garden City Community College, Garden City. She will be joined by Judge Lesley Ann Isherwood and District Judge Andrew Stein, 16th Judicial District, which is composed of Clark, Comanche, Ford, Gray, Kiowa, and Meade counties. Stein joins the panel through a special appointment.

Chief Judge Sarah E. Warner will serve as the presiding judge at Highland Community College, Highland. She will be joined by Judge Karen M. Arnold-Burger and District Judge Laura E. Johnson-McNish, 22nd Judicial District, which is composed of Brown, Doniphan, Marshall, and Nemaha counties. Johnson-McNish joins the panel through a special appointment.

Judge Amy Fellows Cline will serve as the presiding judge at Independence Community College, Independence. She will be joined by Judge Lori Bolton Fleming and Chief Judge Jeffrey Gettler, 14th Judicial District, which is composed of Chautauqua and Montgomery counties.

Judge Kathryn A. Gardner will serve as the presiding judge at Washburn University School of Law. She will be joined by Judges Thomas Malone and G. Gordon Atcheson.

Accommodation

Any person with a disability who requires accommodation to access the dockets should notify the judicial branch ADA coordinator as early as possible: ADA Coordinator at ADA@kscourts.gov; 785-296-2256; TTY at 711.