Panel reviewing courts reaches halfway point

Chief Justice Lawton R. Nuss recently announced that the Blue Ribbon Commission formed in December to review the Kansas courts and make recommendations for improvements reached the halfway point in its work with its July meeting in Topeka.

The 25-member commission will make recommendations and report its findings to the Supreme Court by early January. The commission this spring divided into three-member panels to conduct "listening post" meetings throughout the state.

"Over the course of a two-month period, the commission conducted 19 meetings at 18 locations from Norton to Pittsburg and from Atchison to Garden City. They drew over 600 invited attendees and members of the general public. Several documents with suggestions from individuals and groups also were received," Nuss said in a news release.

Weighted caseload studies in which detailed timesheets were kept by all judges and non-judicial employees were conducted earlier this year also. Nuss said the caseload data is still being analyzed by the Court-appointed Judicial Needs and Staffing Needs Assessment Committees working with the National Center for State Courts, which has contracted to assist with that part of the court review. However, he thought in the interest of continued transparency he should give a "half-time update" on the entire court review project, which he has named "Pegasus."

Nuss said the public's comments and suggestions for consideration by the Blue Ribbon Commission have been many, varied and far-reaching.

"At this point, however, the commission has not said yes or no to any of the proposals. The commission is still considering them. In some cases, it is also asking staff members supporting the commission to analyze the recommendations further. Staff is measuring them against possible cost savings while still maintaining access to the courts regardless of where one resides in the state," he said.

The Chief Justice also found that not everyone attending the public meetings agreed about certain suggestions.

"For example, there were numerous people asking to increase the use of video technology for conducting some hearings and court appearances. But others are convinced that face-to-face encounters with the judges are still needed, especially in juvenile offender cases. Still others commented that receiving forensic testimony via video technology from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation or other crime labs could do much to speed up their work, while saving a lot of time and money by not requiring the witnesses to drive many hours for relatively short periods of trial testimony."

Nuss listed a number of public suggestions and comments that caught his eye as he reviewed the work of the Blue Ribbon Commission, which have been posted on the Judicial Branch website. Among them are:

*Implement an electronic court cases filing program so cases can be filed and their progress tracked by litigants without having to go to a courthouse.

*Use technology to bring urban court work to rural areas.

*Expand the use of video conferencing for first appearances in criminal cases from correctional institutions and in mental competency hearings from the two state hospitals at Larned and Osawatomie.

*Increase technological compatibility among the courts, county government and agencies, such as law enforcement.

*Use video conferencing for Court of Appeals hearings and video stream oral arguments for that court, as well as the Supreme Court.

"These are just some examples of the many comments and recommendations that are being distilled by the Blue Ribbon Commission, and which may or may not be contained in its year-end report. The encouraging part to me is that Kansans really do care about how their courts are operating. Many people have put a lot of thought into how we might do things better and more efficiently, while still maintaining the public's access to justice," Nuss said in the release.

Findings derived from the hearings, as well as the results of time studies being conducted in connection with the weighted caseload studies will be assimilated in the fall, with a final commission report due to the Supreme Court by the end of this year, the Kansas Judicial Branch website said.

Commission members include: Blaine A. Carter, Wabaunsee County District Magistrate Judge, Alma; Patrick McAnany, Kansas Court of Appeals Judge, Topeka, chair; Joseph F. Harkins, commissioner of the Kansas Corporation Commission, Topeka; Mike Padilla, chief enforcement officer, Kansas Department of Revenue Alcoholic Beverage Control, Topeka; professor Reginald Robinson, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka; Sam H. Sheldon, attorney, Haley Title Company, Ottawa; Karen H. Hester, University of Kansas School of Law director of career services and director of diversity and inclusion, Lawrence; Martha Hodgesmith, University of Kansas associate director for disability policy, Lawrence; state Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood; Kim W. Cudney, chief judge of 12th Judicial District, Washington; state Sen. Jeffrey R. King, R-Independence.

Also, Colby attorney Calvin Williams; Donna L. Elliott, Graham County Clerk of the District Court, Hill City; Sam Williams, Sullivan Higdon & Sink, Wichita; Linda Parks, attorney with Hite, Fanning & Honeyman, Wichita; state Rep. Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City; Richard A. Boeckman, Barton County counselor/administrator, Great Bend; Meryl D. Wilson, Riley County District Judge, Manhattan; Doris Miller, co-owner of Rocking M Radio, Manhattan.

And Richard Flax, Trego County District Magistrate Judge, Wakeeney; John P. Wheeler Jr., Finney County attorney, Garden City; Garden City attorney Gerald O. Schultz; Bob Boaldin, owner of telephone company EPIC Touch in Elkhart; Constance Alvey, Wyandotte County District Judge, Kansas City; and Susan Lynn, editor and publisher of The Iola Register, Iola.

For more information, visit http://www.kscourts.org/Judicial-Branch-Review/Blue_Ribbon_Commission/default.as...