Latest news with #KansasSupremeCourt
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas Supreme Court makes license plate visibility ruling
KANSAS (KSNT) – A man who was found guilty in Geary County on drug and interference with law enforcement charges had his case decision reversed after a Kansas Supreme Court ruling determined that obstructing the state name on a license plate doesn't give law enforcement reasonable suspicion. A man was driving on I-70 in Geary County when he was pulled over for having a partially obstructed license plate by a car dealer's frame, according to a press release from the Kansas Supreme Court. During the stop, deputies with the Geary County Sheriff's Office said the man exhibited suspicious behavior. Deputies searching his vehicle found methamphetamine. The man attempted to drive away from law enforcement but was stopped and taken into custody. Company lists buildings for sale after Shawnee County invests $1 million The man moved to suppress the methamphetamine finding, claiming that deputies didn't have reasonable suspicion to search his car. The case went to the Geary County Court where it was denied. Beck was found guilty on the following charges in 2023 and sentenced to 12 years: Distribute opiate, opium, narcotic, certain stimulant; > kilogram. No drug tax stamp payment for marijuana or controlled substance. Interference with law enforcement officers. Beck appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, which granted a review. The Kansas Supreme Court reversed the district court's decision, ruling that obstructing the state name on a license plate does not provide reasonable suspicion for a stop. The case was remanded for a new hearing. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Take it from this retired Kansas judge: An independent bench reinforces justice
A statue representing justice stands at the Kansas Judicial Center, where the Kansas Supreme Court is located, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) This session, the Kansas Legislature voted to send Senate Concurrent Resolution 1611 to voters. This proposed constitutional amendment creates the direct partisan political election of Kansas Supreme Court justices. Such elections would be the death knell of an independent judiciary. I was fortunate to serve as a trial district court judge for two and a half decades. I was faced with making difficult decisions, but also very unpopular ones. The majority of the Legislature sadly confuses the court of law with the court of public opinion. Partisan election of judges conflicts with the very essence of the role of the judiciary. A judge has no constituency. A judge must not be influenced by popular opinion. A judge must not be beholden to a political party or a financial campaign contributor. Surely we can all agree we want our judiciary to be fair, impartial and insulated from outside influence. This distinction of judicial office from legislative and executive positions is recognized by the Kansas Code of Judicial Conduct, canon 4. It addresses political activity by a judicial candidate that is inconsistent with the independence, integrity or impartiality of the judiciary. Rule 4.1 (A)(6) states '(A) judge or judicial candidate shall not, in connection with cases, controversies or issues that are likely to come before the court make pledges, promises, or commitments that are inconsistent with the impartial performance of the adjudicative duties of the court.' A judge has no constituency. A judge must not be influenced by popular opinion. A judge must not be beholden to a political party or a financial campaign contributor. – Steven Becker This means no pledges, promises or commitments on gun control, abortion, Medicaid expansion or legalization of cannabis. The Kansas Code of Judicial Conduct explains further the importance of keeping our judiciary above the fray of political campaigns and rhetoric. 'A judge plays a role different from that of a legislator or executive branch official. Rather than making decisions based upon the expressed views or preferences of the electorate, a judge makes decisions based upon the law and the facts of every case. In furtherance of this interest, judges and judicial candidates, must, to the greatest extent possible, be free and appear to be free from political influence and political pressure. … Public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary is eroded if judges or judicial candidates are perceived to be subject to political influence.' I suggest the ethical veil distinguishing a judicial candidate from a candidate for legislative or executive office is extremely important but extremely thin. While serving as a district court judge, I applied twice for a vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals. At the time, the selection process was the merit-based system that we currently have for selecting our Supreme Court justices. My efforts were unsuccessful. After going through the interview process and an aggressive background investigation, I willingly admit that candidates better than I were chosen to be considered for appointment by the governor. The merit-based selection system works and has worked for more than 50 years. The only reason a change to our state constitution is being sought is because the Kansas Supreme Court issued opinions that conflict with the court of public opinion — or the opinion of lawmakers in Topeka. If court decisions are to align with public opinions, I suggest that our public schools would still be segregated. The independence of our judiciary, free from outside political and ideological influence, is a bedrock to our democracy. An independent judiciary is vital to our government's balance of power with checks and balances. Steve Becker served as Reno County district judge for 26 years and served as state representative for the 104th District for three terms. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas commission nominates two judges, private attorney for vacancy on Supreme Court
A nonpartisan nominating committee recommended Gov. Laura Kelly choose from among three nominees to fill a vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court. Justice Evelyn Wilson is retiring July 4. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — A state judicial nominating commission unanimously recommended Tuesday that Gov. Laura Kelly choose from among two eastern Kansas district court judges and a soft-spoken attorney in private practice to fill an impending vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court. The nonpartisan commission completed two days of interviews with 15 applicants before several rounds of voting narrowed the list to Douglas County District Court Judge Amy Hanley, Johnson County District Court Judge Christopher Jayaram and Leawood attorney Larkin Walsh. It would be the Democratic governor's fourth appointment to state's seven-justice Supreme Court. Justice Evelyn Wilson, who was diagnosed with the progressive neurodegenerative condition known as Lou Gehrig's disease, plans to retire July 4. She was appointed by Kelly in 2019, but took the oath in 2020. 'We had very good candidates, and that's important,' said Gloria Flentje, chairperson of the merit-selection commission. 'I hope that every time in the future it will be a hard decision because there are good candidates who want to be on the Kansas Supreme Court.' Hanley, who was appointed to the district court in 2016 by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback, was among top vote-getters in each of the rounds conducted by the commission. Before joining the bench, she argued 20 times before the state Supreme Court or Kansas Court of Appeals. She was a a special assistant U.S. attorney in Kansas and an assistant attorney general for Kansas. She earned a law degree at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. 'I believe litigation experience is crucial to this position,' said Hanley, of Lawrence. 'I believe strongly in precedent.' She said one of the biggest challenges before the state Supreme Court was to respond to the tarnished public image of courts and judges in general. 'Public perception is something I believe is best addressed through education,' she said. Walsh, senior counsel at Stueve Siegel Hanson and a 2004 graduate of the University of Kansas law school, clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Murguia and was a research attorney for state Supreme Court Justice Carol Beier. Walsh's legal practice centered on civil cases in state and federal courts. More recently, she worked on plaintiffs' rights in labor and employment cases. Retired Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Steve Leben described Walsh in a reference letter as someone with 'intellectual humility.' 'I found that to be so moving,' Walsh said. 'It really brings a tear to my eye that someone would describe me that way. I am not a self-promoter. This is not my scene, but I do think a critical attribute of being a judge is to maintain that sense that you don't have all the answers.' The Leawood resident said the obligation of a state justice would be to maintain fidelity to the law, conduct careful reviews of facts and examine issues in the way parties framed them. 'Ego doesn't play a huge role in that,' said Walsh, who suggested the same skill was important in forming consensus among justices. 'Being the loudest or being the most inflexible or being the most aggressive is never the most effective.' Jayaram, who was appointed a district court judge in Johnson County by Kelly in 2021, said his 20-year legal career before that point focused on business litigation and health care matters. He was an attorney at Horn Aylward & Bandy and earned a law degree at Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He said the text of the Kansas Constitution ought to be reviewed from a pragmatic standpoint without losing connection to actual words contained in the document. 'I don't think that you should overlook original words that are there,' said Jayaram, of Lenexa. He was questioned by the commission about how judges or justices ought to to handle personal political views when deciding cases. 'My job as a district court judge is really to not pay attention to what's popular and not popular,' Jayaram said. 'I'm not a political animal.' The issue holds relevance given some district court judges in Kansas — not Johnson County — were elected by popular vote rather than appointed by a governor. In addition, the August 2026 ballot in Kansas will include a proposed amendment to the constitution requiring election of Supreme Court justices. On the commission's fifth ballot, Jayaram edged out on a vote of 5-4 Robert Wonnell, who also served as a judge in the Johnson County District Court. The commission conducted the one-on-one runoff to determine the third finalist after Jayaram and Wonnel tied on the fourth ballot.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
: Dana Chandler sentenced to life after third murder trial
A Kansas woman was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for the 2002 murders of her ex-husband and his girlfriend. Judge Cheryl Rios handed down two consecutive life terms to Dana Chandler, 65, who was sentenced in the deaths of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness. She will not be eligible for parole for 50 years, with credit for about 13 years of time she has already served. Hailey Seel, Chandler and Sisco's daughter, gave a victim impact statement at sentencing. According to The Kansas Reflector, Seel said about her mother in court, "I truly see her now as the evil killer. I hate it. I don't want to call you evil killer, but I can't live in a fairy tale." Seel reportedly recommended the judge to show mercy on Chandler if she confessed to the crime and expressed remorse. But if Chandler continued to deny her involvement, Seel recommended the judge should impose the maximum sentence. The Kansas Reflector reported Chandler continued to deny involvement in the crimes, stating, "I have always maintained my innocence. I continue to maintain my innocence. I was not in Topeka, Kansas, on July 7. I never owned or possessed a 9-millimeter firearm. What is happening in this courtroom is a grave injustice. I was not the one who killed them." Sisco, 47, and Harkness, 53, were each shot multiple times with a 9mm gun on July 7, 2002, in Harkness' Topeka, Kansas, home. Police quickly suspected Chandler after members of the Harkness and Sisco families said she harassed Sisco with bizarre visits and frequent phone calls following their bitter divorce and custody battle. She was questioned by police but was not charged. Chandler has always maintained her innocence. "48 Hours" has been covering the case since 2008, and most recently in "My Mother's Murder Trials" reported by contributor Jim Axelrod. For years, the couple's families met with law enforcement and even conducted their own investigation looking for additional evidence, such as the murder weapon, which was never found. At that time, Shawnee County District Attorney Robert Hecht reportedly said there was not enough evidence to charge Chandler. In 2011, a new DA, Chad Taylor, was in office and made the decision to move the case forward. Dana Chandler was arrested in 2011 and entered not guilty pleas to two counts of first-degree murder. A jury convicted Chandler in 2012, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Six years later, Chandler's convictions were overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that statements made at Chandler's trial by prosecutor Jacqie Spradling was, in at least one instance, "made-up" and "misleading." Spradling was later disbarred for what the court called "intolerable acts of deception" aimed at the jury and the courts. "48 Hours" reached out to Spradling, but did not receive a response. But the Kansas Supreme Court did not dismiss Chandler's case. It ruled that there was still sufficient evidence for a jury to find Chandler guilty. The decision whether to retry Chandler was up to the new Shawnee County DA Mike Kagay, and he chose to proceed with another trial. Chandler's second trial began in July 2022. Defense attorney Tom Bath argued there was no DNA, fingerprint or hair evidence that placed Chandler inside the Harkness residence, or even in the state of Kansas. Shawnee County Deputy DA Charles Kitt acknowledged the lack of physical evidence and told the jury the case was instead based on jealousy, rage and obsession. The jury in this trial was unable to reach a unanimous decision. After six days of deliberation, the judge announced a hung jury, reportedly with seven votes to convict and five to acquit. Following the hung jury, the judge reduced Chandler's bond, and after being incarcerated for more than a decade, she was released from jail with GPS monitoring. The defense also requested a change of venue for the upcoming trial, which the judge granted. Chandler's third trial got underway in February 2025, in Pottawatomie County, 60 miles from Topeka. On the morning of opening statements, Chandler dismissed her attorneys and announced she would represent herself. At trial, Chandler's children, Hailey Seel and Dustin Sisco — who were teenagers at the time of the murders — testified for the prosecution, as they had done previously. They both believe their mother, Dana Chandler, is responsible for murdering their father, Mike Sisco, and Karen Harkness. They were also questioned by their mother. When it was time to present her case, Chandler testified for approximately 20 hours, spread over seven days. She argued that no one could place her at the scene of the murders, or even in the state of Kansas at the time of the killings, and that she had never owned or possessed a .9mm firearm. Deputy DA Kitt focused on Chandler's obsessive behavior and told the jury she killed Sisco and Harkness because she had lost control of her ex-husband. The jury deliberated nearly four hours before finding Chandler guilty. Hailey Seel says she was relieved by the verdict but hopes that the lives lost are not forgotten. "I do feel like the focus of this case has gone almost completely to Dana Chandler and that the — the victims and the families of the victims has really been lost in this case, which is really sad. And I hope that from here out the — the victims and the families can be remembered more," Seel told "48 Hours." Chandler is filing motions to appeal the conviction. "48 Hours" reached out to Chandler for comment, but did not receive a response. Sneak peek: Where is Jermain Charlo? 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Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dana Chandler to be sentenced Tuesday for 2002 killings
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Dana Chandler will receive her sentence Tuesday after a jury found her guilty of killing her estranged husband and his fiancé two decades ago. A judge is scheduled to hand Chandler her sentence at 1:30 p.m. on June 3. 27 News is following this case and will add the sentencing details to this article once the information is available. A jury delivered a guilty verdict in her double-murder case on March 7 this year for her role in the deaths of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness in 2002. The couple were found dead in their bed after being shot multiple times. 'She loved her students tremendously': Topeka teacher killed in Highway 24 crash Chandler was first arrested in 2011 and later convicted in 2012, receiving a life sentence for causing the deaths of Sisco and Harkness. However, the Kansas Supreme Court later overturned the verdict after it was found the prosecutor in the case lied to the jury. Another jury failed to reach a verdict on the case in 2022 during a second trial. Chandler was released on bond in October that year, posting bail for $350,000. A third trial was scheduled, this time in Pottawatomie County in 2025. Chandler fired her defense lawyers just before this trial began, with her children and other relatives later testifying in the case. Two of Chandler's sisters were involved in a rollover crash during the trial, with one dying as a result of the incident. Chandler's trial entered recess as a result of the deadly crash. Man arrested again in connection to killing 35-year-old Topeka local in 2022 The jury deliberated for only a few hours before giving out its guilty verdict in March. Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay spoke to the media shortly after the trial's end, saying that justice was served in the case and discussing some of the evidence that was used to reach the verdict. While the possibility of a fourth trial was put forward in March, Chandler's sentencing moved forward. Her court case has garnered national attention with a 'Dateline' episode called 'Deadly Obsession' being posted in April this year. For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
