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| Kansas Court Records- Listed below is contact information and/or links to websites containing resources to help in a search for Kansas court records. | |||
| Kansas State and County Court Systems & Online Public Record Search | |||
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The evolution of the judicial system in the state of Kansas is billed as an ongoing partnership between government and the citizens it is entrusted to serve and protect. The state’s courts were reformed in 1965, and again just seven years later as the electorate agreed overwhelmingly to another slate of changes which have helped pave the way to the courts as they exist today. Kansas Supreme Court The Kansas Supreme Court sits in the state capital of Topeka, at the Kansas Judicial Center. It is the court of last resort for the state, hearing direct appeals from the district courts in the most serious of criminal cases, and appeals of any case in which a statue has been held unconstitutional by a lower court. The court may review cases decided by the Court of Appeals, and may choose to transfer cases from that court to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court even has original jurisdiction in a number of cases. By constitutional mandate, the state Supreme Court also has general administrative authority over all Kansas courts. Its rules govern appellate practice in both its own chamber and the Court of Appeals, and the procedures in the district courts as well. The Supreme Court likewise establishes the rules and provides for the examination and admission of attorneys, and the conduct of those attorneys. The court consists of seven justices, appointed by the governor from a list of three nominees submitted by the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission. After each six-year term, justices are subjected to a retention vote by the electorate. The present chief justice, determined by seniority on the court, is Kay McFarland, who has served on the court since her appointment as the state’s first female justice in 1977. Links are available online to the court’s live and archived oral arguments, and the court’s cases and opinions also are accessible. A Docket Numbers page also exists for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Kansas Court of Appeals Also located in Topeka at the Kansas Judicial Center is the Kansas Court of Appeals, an intermediate appellate court with jurisdiction to hear all appeals from orders of the State Corporation Commission, and all appeals from the district courts in both civil and criminal matters except for those which may be appealed directly to the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals also has original jurisdiction over actions of habeas corpus. The judges of the court may hear appeals “en banc,” that is, all 12 judges at once, but it usually sits in panels of three. The chief judge is Gary W. Rulon. As of July 2007, one spot on the court is vacant pending an appointment by the governor. The Court of Appeals may sit anywhere in the state, and hearings are regularly scheduled in Hays, Garden City, Wichita, Chanute, Kansas City, Olathe and Topeka to bring more convenient appellate court access to all residents of the state. Occasionally hearings will also be held in even more cities. The dockets and oral arguments for the Court of Appeals are available from its Web site, as are its issued opinions. A case inquiry page serves both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Kansas District Courts District courts in Kansas are created by the state constitution. They are the trial courts of Kansas, with general original jurisdiction over all cases civil and criminal, including divorce and domestic relations, damage suits, probate and administration of estates, guardianships and conservatorships, care for the mentally ill, juvenile matters and small claims. It is in these courts that criminal and civil jury trials are held. Kansas is divided into 31 judicial district courts, with a varying number of counties represented in each. A courtroom is maintained in each county of the district. Individual Web sites for each of the 31 districts can be accessed through a list at the state’s judicial Web site. A list of district judges also is accessed through the site. Judges of the district courts must be licensed attorneys, but some counties also have district magistrate judges, who might or might not be lawyers and whose jurisdiction is limited. There is at least one resident judge in each county. The state also is divided into six judicial “departments,” each of which includes several judicial districts. One justice of the Supreme Court serves as a departmental justice over each of these divisions. The presiding justice can assign judges from one judicial district to serve in another if needed. Appeals may rise from the District Court to either the Court of Appeals or the state Supreme Court. Kansas Municipal Courts Municipal Court, or City Court, is a venue of somewhat limited jurisdiction, charged with handling more minor violations of city ordinances, committed within city limits. These cases usually involve traffic infractions or other minor offenses. A person charged with an offense in Municipal Court may be represented by a lawyer, but the judge hears cases without the presence of a jury. Anyone convicted of an offense in
Municipal Court has the right to appeal that decision to the
appropriate
District Court. Comparatively few municipal courts have their own Web sites, but those that do are listed online at the state Web site. |
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| Kansas Court Web Sites and online databases | |||
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US District Court - District of Kansas US Bankruptcy Court - District of Kansas Kansas Appellate Courts - Search the case inquiry system for Kansas Appellate Court Records. Kansas State District Courts - District court information as well as useful links for your Kansas public records search. Kansas Small Claims - Small Claims court information by district. Kansas State Municipal Courts - Kansas State Municipal Court Directory and links to municipal courts. Kansas Supreme Court - Supreme Court and Court of Appeals published opinions search. Kansas Supreme Court Law Library - Search the Supreme Court library catalog, recent acquisitions of the library, Court of Appeals Dockets and library information. Kansas Supreme Court Live and Archived Oral Arguments - Schedule of current term and scheduled oral arguments. Kansas Supreme Court Case Name List - Alphabetical List of Supreme Court Cases |
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| Kansas County Courthouses, phone numbers and mailing addresses | |||
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