Latest news with #KansasCourtofAppeals
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas courts engage college students with live hearings
PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Kansas Judicial System brings the court to the people—to show how the system works. A three-judge panel from the Kansas Court of Appeals heard two cases this morning—at Pittsburg State's McCray Hall. The appellate court is a traveling court—but they usually hear cases in county courthouses. Kansas authorities poked fun at owner of crashed car, stolen guns… saying 'Heyyy…' Southeast Kansas museum teams with PSU for digital growth Southeast Kansas educators tap into Library of Congress resources Pittsburg man arrested in weekend shooting investigation Kansas firefighters train for safety and leadership in Girard After the two hearings—Judges answered questions from students. This is part of an effort by the court to build a better relationship with college and university students—along with the public. Chief Judge Sarah Warner—a Pittsburg native—says it could be a key part of inspiring the next generation. 'To be able to have these conversations with students who are interested in the judicial system, who are engaged with it, who perhaps are thinking about going to law school, what a wonderful way to spend the day,' said Chief Judge Sarah Warner, Kan. Court of Appeals At the same time—other three-judge panels heard cases at Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University and Johnson County Community College. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate panel advances southeast Kansas judge nominated for state Court of Appeals
Judge Lori Bolton Fleming testifies March 24, 2025, before the Senate Judiciary Committee on why she should be a Kansas Court of Appeals judge. The committee unanimously recommended her. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — A Republican-dominated Kansas Senate committee on Monday advanced a district judge nominee from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly for the Kansas Court of Appeals. Judge Lori Bolton Fleming now awaits a vote of the full Senate for confirmation. Kelly appointed Bolton Fleming to replace the retired Judge Henry Green Jr., who is the longest-serving judge on the Kansas Court of Appeals. Kelly selected Bolton Fleming from three nominees put forward by the Court of Appeals nominating commission. Bolton Fleming has been the chief judge for the 11th Judicial District — which includes Cherokee, Crawford and Labette counties in southeast Kansas near the Kansas and Oklahoma borders — since 2021. She has served as a judge there since 2012, when she was appointed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. In 2023, the Kansas Supreme Court appointed Bolton Fleming to the Rural Justice Initiative, which focuses on fulfilling legal needs in less populated parts of the state. Her focus in that role has been growing the number of attorneys in those communities. 'Our appellate courts are best served by having people serve from all parts of the state,' Bolton Fleming said during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. After spending her entire legal career in southeast Kansas, Bolton Fleming would be one of few rural voices on the Kansas Court of Appeals. The majority of the justices come from Wichita, Topeka or Kansas City. Ranking Minority Member Democrat Sen. Ethan Corson of Prairie Village noted that there hasn't been a judge on the Kansas Court of Appeals from the 11th district since 1978. 'I do think it's important just for our citizens that we have geographic diversity on the court of appeals,' Corson said. Bolton Fleming has been invited to sit with the Kansas Court of Appeals as well as the Kansas Supreme Court to help make decisions on cases, according to Kelly's press release. She also has delivered 38 opinions on cases as an assigned appellate judge. Sen. Craig Bowser, a Republican from Holton, asked Bolton Fleming during Monday's hearing how he should respond when other senators ask why they should vote for her. 'So, I've actually done the work that I would be doing as a court of appeals judge, and I've actually done it while working full time as a district court judge,' Bolton Fleming said. 'One of the times that I handled a court of appeals docket, I was actually handling a high-level felony jury trial. I would handle the trial during the day and I would write at night. I think it speaks to my work ethic as well.' When senators on the judiciary committee asked Bolton Fleming's opinion on certain cases, she always answered the same: 'Courts don't make law.' Sen. Kellie Warren, a Republican from Leawood, referenced an executive order from President Donald Trump ordering the federal government to recognize only two biological sexes. The legal fate of that order — one of several attacks on the rights of LGBTQ people in the U.S. since Trump took office in January — is playing out in the courts. 'I'm thinking Kansans might want to hear from you, and directly, what your thoughts on how you would answer the question, 'What is a woman?' ' Warren said. 'Again, courts don't make law,' Bolton Fleming said. 'So if the executive branch or legislative branch has created a law or administrative order, it's not really before the court to answer that. We leave that to the people, through the elected representatives. That's certainly not an issue that's come up in front of me.' When Sen. Jeff Klemp, a Republican from Lansing, asked if Bolton Fleming has ideas on how the judicial system should change, she acknowledged the Kansas Legislature's recent approval of a constitutional amendment that would make seats on the state Supreme Court elected positions. But she reiterated that as a judge, she would not weigh in on the matter. 'The idea is that the government belongs to the people, the people through their elected representatives — all of you — have decided to propose a method to the public, and they will vote, and that is a very democratic process,' Bolton Fleming said. Before going to law school, Bolton Fleming was an English teacher at Fort Scott High School. Bolton Fleming says she was inspired to attend law school by some of her students, who lived in foster care homes. 'As I got to know them and hear their stories, it occurred to me that their stories may have had a different ending with someone in their corner,' Bolton Fleming said.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Kelly appoints Lori Bolton Fleming to Kansas Court of Appeals
KANSAS — Governor Laura Kelly appoints a southeast Kansas woman to the Kansas Court of Appeals. Judge Lori Bolton Fleming has served as the chief judge of the 11th Judicial District since 2021, overseeing five courthouses in Cherokee, Labette, and Crawford counties. She created the district's first recovery court, for which she serves as administrator. Community support helps provide pet food relief in Southeast Kansas Fort Scott honors Prof. Hawkins' dedication to African American education Neodesha residents should avoid this contaminated stream Bolton Fleming has previously been invited to hear and decide cases with the Kansas Court of Appeals and the Kansas Supreme Court, rendering 38 opinions as an appellate judge. Her appointment will now go to the Kansas Senate. If confirmed, she will fill the vacancy left by retiring Judge Henry Green Jr. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pittsburg leaders push for progress at Kansas capitol
PITTSBURG, Kan. — From southeast Kansas to Topeka — Pittsburg leaders are hoping to tackle new goals in 2025. Chamber of Commerce representatives met with state lawmakers at the state capitol this week. They're hoping to bring attention to things like construction on Highway-69 — expanded childcare capacity — and improvements at Pittsburg State. Pittsburg leaders push for progress at Kansas capitol Pittsburg State alum among finalists for Kansas Court of Appeals Pittsburg teachers receive grant funding through foundation Pittsburg School District notifies parents about ICE protocols Albers Marine 19th Annual Fishing & Hunting Show held in Southeast Kansas Chamber President Blake Benson told us today that connecting in-person is even more important than ever in 2025. 'The session in Kansas is quite a bit shorter. The legislature is trying to get it done in 90 days. And in the past it can drag out over four or five months. So they're being very aggressive with their timeline. So it's even more important that we're there as often as we can,' said Benson. Leaders at the Pittsburg chamber would also like to see the legislature tackle Medicaid expansion this session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Who are they going to target next?' Kansas appeals court hears arguments on gender markers
Pedro Irigonegaray, an attorney representing the Kansas Department of Revenue, argues before the Kansas Court of Appeals at a Jan. 27, 2025, hearing. (Thad Allton for Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — The state solicitor general told an appeals court panel Monday that transgender people don't have to get a driver's license if they don't like being forced to use a gender marker that conflicts with their identity. The Kansas Court of Appeals is considering arguments over legislation passed in 2023 the requires vital statistics to recognize a person's biological sex at birth. Attorney General Kris Kobach sued the Kansas Department of Revenue for continuing to allow transgender residents to be identified by their gender on their driver's license, as the office had done for 17 years. Arguments in the case center on the distinction between 'sex,' which relates to reproductive systems, and 'gender,' which can be a social and personal identity or expression, and whether the Legislature understood the difference when it passed Senate Bill 180. The word 'gender' doesn't appear within the law. Additional arguments involve whether the Attorney General's Office can show how the state would be harmed by gender markers on driver's licenses. The law was based on model legislation produced by Independent Women's Voices, a far-right group with a long history of opposing women's rights, and labeled a 'women's bill of rights.' Most of the attention during debate revolved around efforts to ban transgender and cisgender girls from playing together in school sports. Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the law, but she was overridden by Republican-led supermajorities in both the Senate and House. Pedro Irigonegaray, an attorney representing KDOR, strayed from legal analysis during Monday's court hearing to address the Legislature's attempt to target a class of residents who, by his calculation, hold 0.004% of the driver's licenses issued in Kansas. 'It is not appropriate for a state to legislate discrimination,' Irigonegaray. 'It is not appropriate for a state to deny transgender people the right to dignity. We know from our world's history what happens when a state diminishes the dignity of a class of human beings. We know where that train is headed, and it's headed to a place that we know is horrible. 'And what I ask this court to consider is: Today it's our transgender population, but who's next? Who are they going to target next? Today is transgender — our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends, neighbors. We must put a stop to this. State-sponsored discrimination has no place in our democracy, and this is what this bill is all about.' Anthony Powell, the solicitor general for Kobach's office, said the case was merely about statutory interpretation, 'contrary to all the press attendance.' There appeared to be four journalists in the courtroom. Powell said he considers the terms 'gender' and 'sex' to be interchangeable, based on his 'common sense' understanding of the words. He said he only became aware of the differences in recent years, even though experts had made the distinctions for decades before. He said he considers gender to be a 'physical property,' not a feeling. The state has the authority, Powell argued, to gather 'accurate and consistent' data on driver's licenses. And, he said, driving is a privilege rather than a right. 'A transgender person doesn't have to get a driver's license,' Powell said. 'If they think that obtaining a license and having their biological sex on it is so upsetting to them, I guess they don't have to get a driver's license.' Julie Murray, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which joined the case to argue on behalf of transgender Kansas residents, said Powell's argument should be rejected out of hand. 'This is an attempt to write them out of existence,' Murray said. Judges Karen Arnold Berger, Stephen Hill and Sarah Warner heard arguments to determine whether to reverse a district court's decision to issue a temporary injunction in favor of Kobach's arguments. Under the injunction, which has now been in place for about a year, the state must issue driver's licenses with a gender marker based on sex at birth. The lower court agreed with arguments by the Attorney General's Office that claimed the state would be harmed by allowing an agency to ignore the law, in Kobach's opinion, and that law enforcement officers may be confused about a person's true identity. Irigonegaray said Kobach's interpretation of the law is flawed, because it doesn't address driver's licenses or gender. 'In order to conclude that the Legislature in 2023 was unaware of the difference between 'sex' and 'gender,' one would have to believe that the state Legislature was operating on a 15th century mentality,' Irigonegaray said. Kobach's office could produce just one example of a police officer who was confused about a person's identity based on their driver's license. But police actually readily identified the person and arrested them. Irigonegaray said there was no evidence to support the 'scare tactic' that 'fleeing transgenders were going to be everywhere because they were going to avoid the arms of justice.' Arnold Berger asked Powell to explain why there was no outrage from law enforcement officers during the 17 years in which the state issued driver's licenses that recognized gender instead of sex. Powell told her there aren't a lot of transgender people in Kansas. 'Exactly,' she said.
